You can potentially learn a lot from a food label: fat content, sodium level, what additives have been used and what allergens to look out for, among other things. But until the new food regulations were gazetted in March, clever marketeers often used food labels to convince us of a whole plethora of product benefits – some of which never existed at all!
That’s about to change. By this time next year, food labels will tell a completely different story. Here’s how to decipher what they’ll say:
4. Allergens
The law has tightened up on the declaration of the common allergens: eggs, cow’s milk, goat’s milk, crustaceans and molluscs, fish, peanuts, soya beans, tree nuts and the cereals wheat, rye, barley and oats. They must either be specified in the ingredients list in brackets if they are not self evident and/or be identified in a list or block, close to the ingredients list, with the words “Contains: Name of the allergens”. For the common allergy cereals, the law requires that after the name of the cereal, the word “gluten” appears in brackets. So, if for example, the product contained wheat, it would need to read in the ingredients list “wheat (gluten)”. The allergens regulations also address uncommon allergens. If a person were allergic to latex, for example, s/he could ask the manufacturer if latex gloves were used at any stage in the manufacture of the product and the manufacturer would need to supply this information.
The potential for cross-contamination of a common allergen in a food factory is also covered and these manufacturers are now required to have an allergen control policy in place. If cross-contamination is still possible they should (note not must, but are recommended or obligated to) include the statement “May contain X allergen” and when there is a risk of cross-contamination the words “Not suitable for people with X allergy” at the end of or just under the ingredients list.
5. Country of origin
Country of origin labelling is required (with some exceptions):
- “Product of X country” will be for foods where all main ingredients, processing and labour are from one country. Where a jam is made from fruit and sugar grown in South Africa and the factory where it is made is in South Africa, it will state “Product of South Africa”
- When a food is processed in a second country, it may be worded “Produced in X country”, “Processed in X country”, “Manufactured in X country” or “Made in X country”. If bread is made in South Africa from flour that has been imported from Argentina, then it will probably say “Made in South Africa”.
6. Date marking
It will now be compulsory for all foods, again with a few clearly listed exceptions, to have a date marking that cannot be removed or altered. The date can be preceded by the words “Best before” (which may be abbreviated to ‘BB’) and/or “Use by” and/or “Sell by” depending on the nature of the product. Important for you, the consumer, is to know the difference in the meaning:
- Best before: This is the date that signifies the end of the period, under recommended storage conditions, during which the product remains fully marketable and will retain its particular qualities. However, beyond this date, the food may be perfectly satisfactory.
- Use by: This date indicates when the product is best consumed by. In other words, after this date, the product will probably not have the qualities normally expected of it and so should not be marketed.
- Sell by: This refers to the last date that the product should be offered to the consumer but there remains a reasonable storage period at home.
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