NEW FOOD LABELLING RULES - FYI

FYI

New foodstuff labelling rules in place
March 2 2012 at 09:00am (iol-STAR)

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THANDI SKADE

ALL FOODSTUFF manufactured, imported and sold in SA must, from now on, contain comprehensive labelling, including nutritional and compositional information.

This comes after the new regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuff came into effect yesterday.

Manufacturers who don’t comply with the regulations will be issued with a notice and given the opportunity to rectify the fault, but if non-compliance persists, manufacturers may face criminal prosecution.

All foodstuff manufactured from March 1 must comply with these provisions:

l A description of the ingredients contained in the foodstuff must be printed clearly next to the product name, and it must not be misleading. For example, frozen chicken pieces where a brine- based mixture has been added must be listed as an ingredient.

l It must mention the country where the foodstuff was produced.

l Nutritional claims like “high in fibre”, “sugar free” and “low fat” must be accompanied by a nutritional table to substantiate the claim.

l It must include a quantitative ingredient declaration that breaks down the amount of a certain ingredient or ingredients that are advertised on the product label. For example, a product that is described as an olive oil spread must indicate the percentage of olive oil contained in the spread.

l A best before, sell by and use by date must be included on the packaging.

l Logos of endorsement bodies, like Weigh-less, in support or promotion of specific nutritional or dietary components of a product can be printed on the packaging only if it has been approved by the director-general of the health department.

l Common food allergens like peanuts, soya and dairy products contained in the foodstuff must be declared.

Department of Health spokesman Fidel Hadebe said the new regulations were intended to ensure that consumers are given adequate information to make informed decisions on the food they buy, while ensuring consumers are not being misled by manufacturers.

why no animal free - vegetarian label?

what about gluten

All of this but yet you can cook skaap kop next to the road and no labeling required there.....No level playing fields!!!!!

Unless you bought the skaap kop at Woolies. Then it has to have a best before date. Lol.

Woolies don't sell the kop.Only hand reared,free range,bottle fed,2%,gluten free,best before xxxx matured lamb shank......LOL

I hope this includes bread and milk ... I'm so tired of buying bread from my local Spar and finding it's semi-stale even before I open it. Or greened with fungus ... on the inside where I can't see it. Likewise milk that goes off the day after I take it home. A best-before date PRINTED PROMINENTLY on the packet would be a big help.

Uk goes to the other extreme,you cant even have a burger without being reminded that there is only 3% beef in it and its a gazzilion calories...

selling milk with 10 days best before date on it doesnt make it fresh...

Eggs with red lions

And who uses a jar of Mayo in 3 days after opening it?

What of GMFoods?

@mavourneen:

'Or greened with fungus ... on the inside where I can't see it.'

Bought 2 loaves of Sasko from P n p, Southdale. Both were stamped with expiry date about 4 days ahead.

At home, the one was perfect; the other? Mouldy and stale as last year's bread!

At least on ABC we can inform the punters how to get plenty bread and make lots of dough

What about SA beef heard the stockmen like to pump it full of steroids?

Umlilo: "At home, the one was perfect; the other? Mouldy and stale as last year's bread!" I'd love to know what goes on in some shops' storerooms ... "Agh, just put those left-over loaves into those extra bags, no-one will know the difference ..."

Scotia: "At least on ABC we can inform the punters how to get plenty bread and make lots of dough (winking smiley)" LOL! Very true ... though sometimes punters' comments are sour enough to curdle the milk.

Hibs: "And who uses a jar of Mayo in 3 days after opening it?" You obviously never met my nephews.
"What about SA beef heard the stockmen like to pump it full of steroids?" Is THAT why our cricket team have suddenly started winning? Must have been eating a lot of beef biltong.

AB de Villiers on Richard Levi, when asked by a commentator how they got him like that, "We keep him in a cage and throw bits of biltong to him through the bars". Well, maybe he didn't quite reply like that, but he MIGHT have said it, don't you think?

(Sunday blerrie afternoon and I am bored enough to chew holes on my computer desk ... yaaaawn ... sound of jaws cracking ... and invent silly things people might have said.)