thumb|Estimated symbol specification

The estimated sign or estimated symbol, <big></big>, (officially, the ℮-mark or the final EC verification mark in EU law, which specifies the maximum permitted tolerances in package content.

The shape and dimensions of the e-mark are defined in EU Directive 2009/34/EC. The e-mark is also used on prepackages in the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. It must be placed in the same field of vision as the nominal weight or volume quantity, for example, "1mg℮" or "1L℮".

Functions

thumb|EU ℮-mark next to the weight of the contents of a can

Use of the estimated sign declares that:

  • the average quantity of product in a batch of prepackages shall not be less than the nominal quantity stated on the label;
  • the proportion of individual prepackages having a negative error greater than the tolerable negative error shall be sufficiently small for batches of prepackages to satisfy the requirements of the official reference test as specified in legislation;
  • none of the prepackages marked have a negative error greater than twice the tolerable negative error (since no such prepackage may bear the sign).

The scope of the directive is limited to prepackages that have a predetermined nominal weight of between 5&nbsp;g and 10&nbsp;kg or volume of 5&nbsp;mL and 10&nbsp;L, are filled without the purchaser present, and in which the quantity cannot be altered without opening or destroying the packing material.

The sign looks like a stylised lowercase letter "e" and its shape is precisely defined by the European Union Directive 2009/34/EC. It must be placed in the same field of vision as the nominal quantity. The sign has been added to the Unicode list of characters as .

Tolerable negative error

Error tolerance decreases as nominal quantity increases, by alternating intervals of a given percentage error with intervals of a given amount error: these interpolate between the stepwise decreases in percentage error. The estimated sign indicates that the average quantity of product in a batch of prepackages is not less than the nominal quantity stated on the label.

The tolerable negative error is related to the nominal quantity and varies between 9% on prepackages nominally 50g or 50mL or less, to 1.5% on prepackages nominally 1 kg (or 1 L) or more. The tolerable error decreases as nominal quantity increases, and is done by alternating intervals where there is a percentage error and intervals where there is a fixed error (and thus over those intervals the percentage error decreases).

thumb|left|upright=3|Table showing calculated TNEs and the relevant weights

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Table of tolerable negative errors

|-

! Nominal quantity<br>in g or mL

!Tolerable negative<br>error

|-

| 5–50 ||9%

|-

| 50–100 ||4.5 units

|-

| 100–200 ||4.5%

|-

| 200–300 ||9 units

|-

| 300–500 ||3%

|-

| 500–1000 ||15 units

|-

| 1000–10000 ||1.5%

|}

See also

  • CE marking (stylized 14px|baseline|alt=CЄ)
  • EC identification and health marks
  • E (Ecco2k album)

References

  • Evertype article
  • Council Directive of 20 January 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making-up by weight or by volume of certain prepackaged products
  • Summary of EU Legislation on Pre-packed products – how to fill and label the package