Name: Donato Christopher

Group Members: Cherika Hall, Jemil Thomas, Oneal Joseph, Tyler

Modeste, Kamron Buckmire, Devonte Hillaire, Jimonie, Williams
Markeisha Licorice, Jayden Joseph, Jermol James
School: St Andrews Anglican Secondary School
Subject: Math
Candidate Number:
Teacher: Mr. Lyndon St. Cyr
Year of Examination:2023
 Table of Contents

Project Title ...............................................................3

Introduction ...............................................................4
Literature Review ......................................................5
Method Of Data Collection .......................................6
Presentation Of Data .................................................7
Analysis Of Data .......................................................8
Discussion Of Findings .............................................9
Conclusion ...............................................................12
Bibliography ............................................................13

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 Project Title
An investigation into whether companies that sell drinks and snacks give the exact volume and
mass that they advertise they are giving.

3
 Introduction

In general, drink and snack companies are required to adhere to strict regulations regarding the amount of
products they put in their packages and containers. This includes rules around the net weight or volume of
the contents, as well as the fill tolerance (or the amount by which the actual fill may vary from the
declared fill). These regulations vary depending on the country and the specific product, but companies
are not allowed to put less product in their containers than they advertise. However, if a container is
under-filled, it may happen by accident or by machine malfunction. If this happens consistently it may be
a sign of malpractice and companies can get fined. Many times, it appears as though the volume of drink
is less than the amount stated on the label. The researcher seeks to verify the accuracy of the
manufacturers labelling. So, this experiment was designed to find out if drink and snack companies put in
the amount of liquids in their drinks and the correct amount of products in their snacks. I aim to use
mathematical formulas to verify this.

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 Literature Review

The accuracy of labeling on packaged foods and beverages has been a topic of interest for both
consumers and regulatory bodies. In particular, the volume and mass labeling of drinks and
snacks have been a subject of investigation. Studies have shown that many companies do not
provide the exact amount that they advertise, with some products containing significantly less
than the stated amount. The research involved in proving this point has utilized various methods
such as weighing and measuring the actual contents of the packages, as well as conducting
laboratory analyses to confirm the accuracy of the labeling. Additionally, some studies have
utilized consumer surveys and feedback to investigate consumer perceptions and experiences
regarding product labeling accuracy. The findings of these investigations emphasize the
importance of improved regulation and stricter enforcement of labeling requirements to ensure
consumers receive accurate and reliable information about the products they purchase.

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6
 Method Of Data Collection
The method used to collect the data for this study will be an experiment. In order to verify if the drink
containers (bottles and boxes) and snacks contain the volume of liquid and correct weight that the
manufacturers placed on the labels. I will be engaging in an experiment in which I will buy two different
snacks and drinks from different companies and measure the volume of each drink and weight of each
product and compare it to the volume advertised on the label. The snacks are as follows; Black Forrest
Organic Gummy Bears and Nature Valley Granola Bar. The drinks are as follows: Cool Kidz Fruit Juice
and Smalta Malt. Three of each snack will be measured using an electronic scale and three of each drink
will be measured using a measuring cup. After measuring each product the researcher will find the
average by adding the measurements of each snack or drink and dividing them by three. The information
will be recorded in the following table:

Name of Amount on First snack Second snack Third snack Average mass
product package measured measured measured

Name of Drink Amount on First drink Second drink Third drink Average mass
carton measured measured measured

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 Pres

Presentation of data
Table showing the different weights of snacks measured and the average mass of the snacks calculated.
Average is equal to Total mass or volume of product/3
Range equal to Highest value- Lowest value

Name of Amount on First snack Second snack Third snack Average mass
product package measured measured measured
Black Forrest 23 Grams 23 grams 28 grams 21 grams 24 Grams
Original
Gummy Bears
Nature Valley 42 Grams 42 Grams 42 Grams 42 Grams 42 Grams
Granola Bar
Holiday Stix 39 Grams 41 Grams 42 Grams 40 Grams 41 Grams
Sweet Chilli
Tortillaz 38 Grams 40 Grams 40 Grams 40 Grams 40 Grams

Name of Drink Amount on First drink Second drink Third drink Average mass
carton measured measured measured
Cool Kidz 200 ml 204 ml 204 ml 206 ml 204.67
Fruit Juice
Smalta Malt 237 ml 247 ml 245 ml 242 ml 244.67
Fanta 591 ml 600ml 607ml 615ml 607.33
Sprite 591ml 600ml 600ml 600ml 600

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 Chart Showing the mass of snacks vs the average
mass of snacks

40
types of snacks

Tortillaz

Holiday Stix Sweet Chilli 41

Nature Valley Granola Bar 42

Black Forrest Original Gummy Bears 24

mass of snacks

Average mass Amount on package

The column chart above shows the mass of snacks compared to the average mass of snacks measured

Chart Showing The Volume Advertised

Compared To The Average Volume
700
600
Volume of Drinks

500
400
300
200
100
0
Cool Kidz Fruit Smalta Malt Fanta Sprite
Juice
Drinks used in Experiment

Amount on carton Average mass

The bar chart above shows the volume of drinks compared to the average volume of drinks measured

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 Analysis of data
The snacks were measured on an electronic scale in grams. The average mass of the four snacks was
estimated using the following formula: total of the different amounts given on the package divided by 3.
The average mass for each snack not including the granola bar was more than the amount advertised on
the packages. It was found that the granola bars measured the exact amount that was advertised on the
packet.
The drinks were calculated using the same formula. It was found that the Cool Kidz fruit juice had an
average volume of 4 ml more than the advertised volume; the Smalta 7 ml more; the Fanta 16 ml more
and the Sprite 9 ml more. This demonstrated to the researcher that the average volume is more than the
quantity mentioned on the bottles.

Difference = average volume/ mass – amount on the drink/ packet

Name of snack/drink Amount on Average Difference

the volume/mass
bottle/package (ml/g)
(ml/g)
Black Forrest Original 23 Grams 24 Grams 1 gram
Gummy Bears
Nature Valley Granola 42 Grams 42 Grams 0 gram
Bar
Holiday Stix Sweet 39 Grams 41 Grams 2 grams
Chilli
Tortillaz 38 Grams 40 Grams 2 grams
Cool Kidz Fruit Juice 200 ml 204.67 ml 4.67 ml
Smalta Malt 237 ml 244.67 ml 7.67 ml
Fanta 591 ml 607.33 ml 16.33 ml
Sprite 591ml 600 ml 9 ml

The table above compares the amount of mass advertised on the snack package to the average mass of
each snack. The table shows that with the exception of the nature valley granola bars, the snack business
provided more mass than what was advertised on the packages. The table also compares the volume of
drink advertised on the bottles to the average volume of each drink. It demonstrated that the average
capacity for each drink was greater than the amount advertised on the bottles.

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 Discussion of Findings
The researcher initially estimated that the amount advertised on the snack packages and drinks would be
less than the actual amount of the products. In most cases however, the average mass/volume of the
products was significantly more than the quantity specified on the package/bottle. This means that the
snack and beverage companies provide more than what is advertised on the package/bottle. Only the
nature valley granola bar had the exact amount that was advertised on the package.

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 Conclusion
The SBA started with the assumption that snack and drink companies do not give as much as they
advertise on the snack package or bottle. However, the data showed that the drink and snack companies
provide more than the amount they advertised on the package/bottle, for example the Fanta had an
advertised volume of 591 ml as stated on the bottle but an actual mass of 600 ml.

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 Bibliography
Toolsie, R. (2013). Mathematics A Complete Course with CXC Questions. Sterling Publishers Private
Ltd. India.

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