Foodstuffs Labelling and Advertising Regulations Come Into Effect

As published on the Department of Health

Foodstuffs labelling and advertising regulations published in March 2010 and awarded an extended implementation grace period came into effect on 1 March 2012.

This was announced in a media statement published on the department of health website.

Made under Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972, the regulations seek to “ensure that consumers are provided with nutritional, compositional and other information related to foodstuffs manufactured, imported and sold in South Africa”.

Municipal environmental health practitioners are responsible for enforcing the regulations, supported by the national health department’s food control directorate and provincial port health services.

Inter alia, the regulations prescribe:

• how the contents and composition of foodstuffs are described on a label;
• how the label is positioned on the package;
• the inclusion of date markings (‘best before’, ‘sell by’ and ‘use by’);
• details of the country and/or countries of origin, or where the foodstuffs were produced;
• criteria for nutritional claims (such as ‘high in fibre’; ‘low fat’; ‘sugar free’);
• a nutritional table in a prescribed format to substantiate such claims;
• the inclusion of information referred to as ‘quantitative ingredient declaration’ (QUID);
• requirements regarding endorsements and related logos on labels; and
• requirements regarding the declaration of common food allergens.

According to the media statement, QUID refers to the quantity of each ingredient “emphasised on the label”.

The regulations and related guidelines were published in notice R146 of Government Gazette 32975 dated 1 March 2010.

Well let’s hope we do not see a SA version of this cartoon

 

 

Tagged: food labelling