Canned food is convenient, shelf-stable, and an increasingly popular way to get important nutrients without the hassle of fresh food. But when you’re looking at canned food labels, it’s important to understand exactly how much of the food you’re getting. This is especially true when it comes to net weight, which is often confused with gross weight.
The net weight of canned foods refers to the amount of food inside the can minus any packaging, liquids, or other non-food items included in the can. This means that if a can has a listed net weight of 12 ounces (340 grams), that is the actual edible food inside the can and not including any water or other liquid added to the can.
So does net weight include water? The short answer is no — unless specifically stated in the nutrition facts label.
If a canned food item lists its net weight as 12 ounces (340 grams), that does not include any additional water or other liquid added to preserve or enhance flavor. It only includes the actual edible portion of the product packaged in the can.
In some cases, however, manufacturers will list both gross and net weights on their nutrition facts labels so that consumers have more detailed information about what they are purchasing. For example, if a can lists 12 ounces (340 grams) as its gross weight and 8 ounces (227 grams) as its net weight, then this means that 4 ounces (113 grams) of liquid has been added to preserve or enhance flavor — but this additional 4 ounces (113 grams) will not be included in the calorie count on the label.
It’s also important to note that some canned foods may list a total volume instead of individual weights for each item contained within it. For example, if a can has two items with volumes listed as 16 ounces (454 grams) each and a total volume listed as 32 ounces (907 grams), then this means that there is an additional 16 ounces (454 grams) of liquid included in both items combined — but this additional 16 ounces (454 grams) will not be counted towards calorie count either.
Overall, understanding exactly what you’re getting when buying canned foods requires knowing whether or not you are purchasing by net or gross weight — and if so, how much liquid may be included in addition to just edible food content. Knowing these details will help ensure you make more informed decisions about what you put into your body — and help you get more bang for your buck from your canned food purchases!
Conclusion: In conclusion, when looking at canned food labels it’s important to note whether or not they include a net or gross weight listing and whether or not there may be additional liquids included beyond just edible food content — because these details will provide insight into exactly how much edible product you are getting for your money! Net weights do not include water unless specifically stated on nutrition facts labels; however some canned foods may list total volumes instead which would also need to be taken into account when trying to assess how much edible product one is actually getting for their money.