Read the label!

New regulations regarding the labelling of food will help up as consumers make informed choices regarding the food we purchase and prevent misleading by unscrupulous manufacturers, importers or sellers.

New regulations regarding the labelling of food has come into effect on 1 March 2012. The purpose is to ensure that consumers are provided with nutritional, compositional and other information related to food manufactured, imported and sold in South Africa. Thus we can make informed choices regarding the food we purchase and prevent our being misled by unscrupulous manufacturers, importers or sellers.

The type of information that now has to appear on the packaging includes the following:

• A clear, unambiguous and legible description of the contents and/or composition of the product
• Date markings such as "best before"; "sell by"; and "use by"
• Details of the country and/or countries of origin or manufacture
• Criteria for nutritional claims such as "high in fibre", "low fat" or "sugar free" and a nutritional table to substantiate/support such claims
• Information about the amount of ingredients emphasised on the label of the food, for example the percentage of olive oil present in the product named "olive oil spread"
• Permission from the Department of Health of endorsement entities such as Weigh Less, CANSA and DiabetesSA
• Declaration of common food allergens such as peanuts, tree nuts, soya and dairy products and wheat gluten present in the product.

These regulations have been passed to protect and empower us as consumers. However, it is up to us to read the labels before we buy.

Should you as a consumer find that a product does not conform to these regulations, you are welcome to bring it to the attention of the environmental health practitioners (EHPs), employed by the Municipal Health Services of the metro and district municipalities. The municipalities will take further action when necessary, including prosecutions in the event of continued non-compliance.

Source
www.doh.gov.za