New food regulations kick in

All food manufactured, imported and sold in South Africa must be labelled with detailed nutritional and compositional information, according to new health regulations published in the Star newspaper.

Health department spokesman Fidel Hadebe said this was to ensure consumers received adequate information before purchase so that the public was not misled by manufacturers.

The new regulations came into effect on Thursday.

The provisions were:

-- A description of the ingredients contained in the food printed clearly next to the name of the product;

-- The food's country of origin;

-- statements such as "high fibre", "sugar free" and "low fat" must be substantiated by a nutritional table;

-- A percentage breakdown of ingredients advertised on the label;

-- A best before, sell by, and use by date;

-- Food allergens contained in the product, such as peanuts and dairy products, must be declared.

(Sapa, March 2012) 

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Read here about DietDoc's take on the new legislation.