Asda shopper buys two 500-gram packs of butter. Then they put them on a kitchen scale and realize they are allegedly missing up to 84 grams

An Asda shopper recently turned to Reddit to share a discovery that has sparked a lively debate about kitchen accuracy and supermarket packaging. After purchasing two 500-gram packs of butter, the user decided to put them on a kitchen scale only to find that the weights were significantly lower than the labels claimed, Daily Dot reported.

The photos shared in the r/AskUK thread showed one pack of salted butter weighing in at 416 grams, while the unsalted variety registered at 423 grams. The community, however, was quick to jump in with plenty of skepticism regarding the measurement process.

One Reddit user noted that they had experienced similar weight discrepancies when buying butter from Lidl in the past. This led them to wonder if these differences are legally acceptable and if they should bother reporting the issue to the supermarket.

The comments section quickly turned into a masterclass on how to troubleshoot home equipment

Many users were immediately suspicious of the kitchen scale itself. One commenter wrote, “My first thought here is your scales are probably s—. Try someone else’s.” This sentiment was echoed throughout the thread, with several people suggesting that the user should verify their equipment before escalating the matter to a store manager.

Is the weight difference legal?
by u/NoCarrot2064 in AskUK

A common recommendation was to use a coin to test the calibration. As one user put it, “Weigh a coin to get the calibration checked.” Another person suggested a water-based test, noting, “Get an empty measuring jug, place [it] on the scale, and zero the weight.” They then advised adding 500 milliliters of water to see if the scale read 500 grams. While this sounds like a solid plan, others pointed out that measuring jugs can introduce their own margin of error.

The conversation eventually shifted toward the regulations surrounding food production. Someone pointed out, “There is a legally permitted difference between the labelled weight and the actual product weight.” Another user offered a more forgiving perspective on the manufacturing side, writing, “It’s possible they average 500g across the full batch and you got super unlucky.”

It is certainly possible that an unlucky shopper might end up with a couple of lighter packs if the manufacturing process is calibrated for an average rather than an exact weight for every single unit.

Of course, the internet being the internet, there was plenty of humor mixed in with the advice. One user couldn’t resist a classic pun, writing, “I can’t believe it’s not 500g butter.” Another user teased the seriousness of the situation by suggesting, “That’s definitely worth a strongly-worded letter to the Telegraph.” This was followed by a mock sign-off, “Signed, Outraged of Tunbridge Wells.”

Ultimately, the thread didn’t reach a definitive conclusion about whether Asda is underfilling their butter. There was no independent verification of the scale’s accuracy, and the photos only provided a snapshot of the user’s personal experience.