EVALUATION OF MARKET METERS MARKETED AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR STUDY IN THE FOOD AND NUTRITION AREA

Abstract

Considering the great variety of brands with different materials and forms of measuring devices, the lack of studies, the importance and the reliability of data for dietary studies, was aimed to evaluate the mass and volume capacity of home meters. This was an experimental study carried out in the Laboratory of Dietetic Technique of UFRJ, where they purchased homemade meters marketed in Rio de Janeiro, with 11 brands of tea cups (XCH) and 12 brands of soup spoon (CS), in the which five measurements of gravimetric and volumetric capacities were carried out. The mass was determined with wheat flour and for the volume the water was used, density 1.0 kg/m³ at 4 °C, as reference. Data were submitted to descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Tukey's test. The average mass capacity for XCH and CS was 106.8 g and 6.8 g, respectively. The XCH and CS presented mean volumes of 213.1 mL and 15.4 mL, respectively, with inadequacy of 20-40% for XCH, while CS were 7.4 to 16%, notably lower variation for both capacities. The capacities of commercially available home meters were detected with the national recommendation proposed by RDC 359 of December 2003. It is concluded that there is a need for specific legislation for the standardization of marketed meters, and consequently control by of inspection organs in the manufacture and marketing of the same, in order to avoid imprecision in the practices in food and nutrition by the population and professionals of related areas.

DOI: 10.12957/demetra.2019.37993

Considering the great variety of brands with different materials and forms of measuring devices, the lack of studies, the importance and the reliability of data for dietary studies, was aimed to evaluate the mass and volume capacity of home meters. This was an experimental study carried out in the Laboratory of Dietetic Technique of UFRJ, where they purchased homemade meters marketed in Rio de Janeiro, with 11 brands of tea cups (XCH) and 12 brands of soup spoon (CS), in the which five measurements of gravimetric and volumetric capacities were carried out. The mass was determined with wheat flour and for the volume the water was used, density 1.0 kg/m³ at 4 °C, as reference. Data were submitted to descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Tukey's test. The average mass capacity for XCH and CS was 106.8 g and 6.8 g, respectively. The XCH and CS presented mean volumes of 213.1 mL and 15.4 mL, respectively, with inadequacy of 20-40% for XCH, while CS were 7.4 to 16%, notably lower variation for both capacities. The capacities of commercially available home meters were detected with the national recommendation proposed by RDC 359 of December 2003. It is concluded that there is a need for specific legislation for the standardization of marketed meters, and consequently control by of inspection organs in the manufacture and marketing of the same, in order to avoid imprecision in the practices in food and nutrition by the population and professionals of related areas.Keywords: Food Utensils. Weights and Measures. Serving and Cooking