South Africa: Proposed food labelling laws to promote healthy choices

30 July 2007, BuaNews
URL: http://www.buanews.gov.za/view.php?ID=07072710151002&coll=buanew07

Pretoria - Proposed food labelling regulations which aim to help consumers make healthier choices, are set to revolutionise the eating habits of South Africans. The new draft Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs, have been published in the Government Gazette by the Department of Health in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act.

They focus on a number of strategies to improve public health, through promoting healthy food choices and improved nutrition by having products which are sold nationally, being labelled with more spefics.

The current Regulations on Advertising and Labelling of Foodstuffs were promulgated in 1993 and needed to be replaced in order to incorporate new developments in scientific research, as well as international Codex Standards and Guidelines said Department of Health spokesperson, Sibani Mngadi.

He said the new regulations would "close all known loopholes" of the previous regulations and make provision for an extensive list of new and amended definitions, mandatory date markings on most foods, as well as an indication of the country of origin and batch identification.

"As the health literacy rate of our population increases, so does the importance of food labelling and the role that it can play in assisting consumers with reliable label information to make informed choices about healthier food options," he said.

"Healthier food choices are an integral part of a healthy lifestyle."

A more detailed list of prohibited statements has also been incorporated in the new regulations to combat consumer deception and the use of misleading information. The regulations also seek to implement the Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Health Organisation's Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.

As part of the implementation of the global strategy, the Department of Health identified foods that are not regarded as essential for a healthy lifestyle.

All cakes, chocolates, sweetened carbonated or uncarbonated drinks and even soft drinks bearing the words "energy" or "sport" or "power", as well as a list of other foods, cannot be labelled as having any nutrient content, health, slimming or nutritional message. These also foods cannot be advertised to children and on school premises.

The regulations deal specifically with health and nutrition claims with the aim of ensuring more honest and responsible food labels and marketing practices. They are intended to promote consumer education by either highlighting particular nutritional content of food in a responsible manner or by indicating the role of a particular food or food component or nutrients in the maintenance of health.

The criteria for all categories of nutrition claims (nutrient content, glycaemic index and comparative claims) and health claims (function, enhanced function, reduction of disease risk, probiotics, prebiotics and slimming claims), level the playing field for all food manufacturers and ensure the quality and reliability of information that is intended for consumers.

The list of common allergens is extended from two to nine different allergen categories, which most commonly affect the general population and strict conditions and criteria have been included in the regulations to ensure responsible manufacturing and labelling practices in this regard.