# what does the lone 'e' on most packaging mean **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2007, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400 "2007-04-02T08:34:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fathercock2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7feea3/32.png) [@fathercock2003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fathercock2003)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400/1 "2007-04-02T08:34:09Z")
dear cecil: i live and work in the middle east. we get a lot of canned stuff here. on most of these i find the letter ‘e’ in lower case but in big type. what does it mean? thanx ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400/2 "2007-04-02T08:47:03Z")
I can’t answer your question, unfortunately, but I have to say I love your username. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400/3 "2007-04-02T08:52:57Z")
It’s the [estimated sign](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimated_sign), indicating that the weight/volume indication on the package fulfills the European Union’s requirements for error of margin. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400/4 "2007-04-02T08:54:38Z")
It’s the symbol of the European Union. It simply means that the contents meet the standards of the EU in terms of weight, contents, source of parts and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400/5 "2007-04-02T13:49:05Z")
Uhm, it’s not any of the symbols “of the European Union,” even if it has defined by the EU. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400/6 "2007-04-02T14:22:13Z")
A list of all the European Union packaging marks may be found on [European Union: EU Marking, Labelling, and Packaging - An Overview](http://www.buyusa.gov/southcarolina/251.pdf) (.pdf) (Ironically, it was easier for me to find this collected list on a U.S. Governement page than on an EU page.) The specific mark in question appears to be the “e-MARK” described about two-thirds of the way down the page. (Page 11 of 16 in the .pdf.) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400/7 "2007-04-02T15:34:19Z")
Where in the Middle East? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-lone-e-on-most-packaging-mean/398400/8 "2007-04-02T15:56:00Z")
[QUOTE=Blake] It’s the symbol of the European Union. It simply means that the contents meet the standards of the EU in terms of weight, contents, source of parts and so forth. [/QUOTE] I think you are confusing it with the “CE” mark, which is different. This is the lower-case “estimated” e.