Consumer alert: Blueberries in Czechia must be sold by weight not volume

The State Agricultural and Food Inspectorate (SZPI) is reminding sellers that unpackaged blueberries and other loose fruit must be sold by weight (kilograms), not by volume (liters).

According to a press release from SZPI spokesperson Pavel Kopřiva, this measure ensures transparency and prevents misleading practices.

The inspectorate has received numerous consumer complaints about sellers using volume measurements, which can be inaccurate due to factors like air gaps and fruit shaking.

Kopřiva emphasized that food quantity information must be clear, unambiguous, and verifiable. Selling fruit by liters is less reliable than kilograms, leading to potential discrepancies in the amount consumers receive. Some consumers reported up to a 20 percent reduction in volume after measurement.

SZPI inspectors will enforce this regulation throughout the fruit season to ensure compliance, as most sellers and consumers expect transactions to be based on weight.

The collection of blueberries in the Czech Republic typically starts at the turn of June and July and ends at the end of August. The largest blueberry farm in the Czech Republic is located between Mutěnice and Hovorany in the Hodonín region.

Blueberries appear in Czechia throughout summertime, with vendors popping up along the roadsides and at the farmer’s markets. Also common are bilberries or European blueberries, which are typically smaller and darker with a reddish pulp and do not grow in clusters.