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National Weights and Measures Week is March 1 to 7Oklahoma One of the foundations of American commerce is being recognized during National Weights and Measures Week. In Oklahoma, weights and measures are regulated by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry's Consumer Protection Services Division. Every commercial scale and measuring device in the state falls under the inspection of the ODAFF. State Secretary of Agriculture Terry Peach said most consumers do not know about the program, which helps protect their pocketbook by making sure they get what they pay for and are not overcharged for products. "Very few people stop to think about whether or not the scale used to weigh produce is accurate or if an item claims to contain a specified amount of product actually contains that exact amount," he said. "But that's what our inspectors check for in retail and wholesale businesses statewide. We're protecting people from fraud." Not only are scales and measuring devices checked routinely, but price scanners and registers at store checkouts are also monitored. Peach said the agency recently toughened penalties to make it more expensive on businesses that overcharge using price scanners. Tyler Hicks, Weights and Measures program administrator for ODAFF, said the National Conference on Weights and Measures selected March 1 to 7 for recognition for its historic significance. "John Adams signed the first U.S. weights and measures law into effect March 2, 1799," he said. "While the technology used in weighing and measuring products for commerce has certainly changed dramatically since that time, the issues of accuracy and equity in commerce are the same." Hicks said ODAFF currently has 13 weights and measures inspectors. The ODAFF also contains the state metrology laboratory, also known as the Bureau of Standards, that certifies weights, scales and other standards of measure for accuracy.
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