The very worthy proposal of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that menus should state energy values is undermined by its failure to use proper measurement units. UKMA has responded by advocating joules rather than so-called “calories” (whatever they may be).
Posts Tagged ‘metrication’
Joules on the menu, please
Thursday, March 11th, 2010Minister agrees it is time to clear up “very British mess”
Friday, February 26th, 2010In response to UKMA’s patron, Lord Howe, the junior Health Minister, Baroness Thornton said she “absolutely agreed” that it is “time for all of us, in all parties,…. to work together to clear up this long-standing and very British mess.” She added “This is a matter that will solve itself over time but it is our job in government to move as fast as we can towards people recognising and feeling comfortable using metric calculations.”
Will the new Parliament be more pro-metric?
Saturday, January 30th, 2010Although it is widely assumed that the next Parliament (to be elected no later than June 2010) will contain more Conservative and fewer Labour MP’s, is it possible that they may be more sympathetic to completing the metric changeover? (Article based on a draft by Martin V.)
Tory spokesman supports centilitres of alcohol
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010In a commendable outbreak of common sense, Conservative health spokesman, Andrew Lansley has proposed that, in order to clarify the amount of alcohol being consumed, bottles and cans should be labelled with the quantity of pure alcohol in centilitres rather than in so called “units”. But will this lead to a wider realisation that draught beer should also be measured in litres?
Metrication progress in Malaysia
Friday, January 8th, 2010Metric use in Malaysia in 2010 may give a foretaste of the situation in the UK in 2020 …or 2030 …or 2040. Our correspondent reports on a recent visit.
Big Bang vs “voluntary gradualism”
Friday, December 11th, 2009A correspondent asks whether countries that carried out their metrication programme quickly fared better or worse than countries that have tried to do the job gradually and voluntarily.
BIS sticks with pints of beer (but only on draught)
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009As expected the Business Department has refused to permit sales of draught beer and cider in convenient metric measures – but its reasoning is bizarre.
Loony Measurement System
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009A member of the UK Metric Association has given us permission to reproduce an amusing article from his personal blog. Acknowledgements and thanks to David Brown.