FACTS and Word magazine

Welcome Word magazine readers.

If you are viewing this page you have received a complimentary 30min food label consultation and a 10% reduction in costs to attend our food labelling workshop, which will be provided by our regulatory consultants.

We look forward to learning more about your food product.

Food label compliance

There are various regulations with which your food labels must comply. The FACTS team will evaluate your products and provide suggestions to correct or adapt them to comply with South African food regulations.

If required, we will check your compliance against the regulations for the Department of Health (DoH), the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC). Remember that regulations also include aspects such as allowable ingredients and product claims.

Our diverse regulatory team can smooth your way to South African food labelling and regulatory compliance.

We can assist with the following:
• Providing the minimum requirements for label development
• Ensuring that final labels are compliant with all relevant legislation
• Checking compliance with DoH, DALRRD and DTIC regulations

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What aspects of my label are assessed?

The minimum information legally required on a food label, e.g. product name, address, date marking and country of origin, to name a few See our infographic
Letter sizes
Net contents (Quantity indication according to SANS 289)
Images used
Ingredient list, including QUID (quantitative ingredient declaration) and allergen declarations, presented in a ready-to-use format
Nutrition, health and other claims and statements
Nutritional information format and calculations, presented in a ready-to-use format
Recommendations for serving-size values (with the assistance of our in-house dietitians)
Calculation of Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs)
Compliance with additive regulations (e.g. whether the additives used are allowed for the specific product)

Who will be available to assist me?

Our regulatory team is made up of Gabrielle Stevens, Karen Horsburgh and Roxanne Gieske. Their many years of experience with regulations and the health and food industry, and their relationships with the regulatory authorities, mean a powerful team approach to finding the right answers for your specific needs.

How much does it cost? Do you have a fee per label reviewed?

Each project is individually quoted; the cost is dependent on the complexity of the labels, how many regulations must be taken into account, and whether the regulatory authorities need to be consulted. There is no set fee per label evaluation or project.

Do you check compliance with the Department of Health labelling regulations (R. 146) only, or with other regulations too?
We are able to check any South African regulations relating to foods that you would need to include in the evaluation, including those of the DoH, DALRRD and DTIC (which includes NRCS and the relevant SANS standards when compulsory).

Can I use the same label for South Africa and for export markets?

Most countries have different regulations pertaining to labelling, which makes it difficult to design one label that will fit more than one country’s requirements. You will probably need to have a label for each country you export to, depending on that country’s requirements.

Can you assist with testing for or calculating our products’ nutritional information?

We can facilitate this analysis, which we will then use to create a nutritional table according to the current regulatory requirements. Nutritional information does not need to be included on your label in all cases; if you are not sure whether you need to test, we can advise you, or you can see our helpful decision tree. You may even be able to calculate the information, rather than testing to establish it; we are more than happy to assist you with this.

Will you help us identify what claims we can make on our product labels?

Yes, if requested – we can make suggestions as to what claims can be made, along with facilitating the analysis of the product.

I would like to upskill my staff on regulations; can you help?

We can assist by conducting in-house training to meet your specific needs. You can also join our workshops and other training sessions – keep an eye on our events page, to see what’s coming up next.