Food labels are a legal requirement and are important for a number of reasons. They help consumers make informed decisions about the food they buy, and how to correctly store and use it safely; and they help consumers plan when they can consume it. This also assists in reducing food wastage.
What the food industry should know before jumping on the next functional ingredient trend Just a few years ago, collagen dominated the functional ingredient space. Included in everything from snack bars and confectionery to beverages, it quickly evolved from a niche supplement into a mainstream ‘...
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have quickly become popular sources of information, offering instant responses across a wide range of topics. While these platforms can be useful for general knowledge, they should not be relied on as the sole source of dependable information. As experts in the ...
When you look at the nutrition information on a product label, the energy value, typically expressed in kilojoules (kJ) per 100 g, may seem like a straightforward measurement – but in fact, energy is not measured directly, it is calculated using energy conversion factors for the various macronutri...
South Africa’s new meat analogue regulations are here. Learn what they mean for plant-based products, and how FACTS can help you comply. In July 2025, the long-awaited meat-analogue regulations were published, giving the plant-based industry guidance on the naming of their meat-alternative produc...
Have you ever wondered who the faces are behind the regulatory and nutrition team at FACTS? Gabrielle Jackson, Karen Horsburgh and Roxanne McCaffrey are a team of three dietitians with 40 years of combined experience, and refer to themselves good-humouredly as #regulatorynerds. This team loves deep-...
Preservatives and antioxidants play a vital role in keeping food safe and extending shelf life by preventing spoilage from microorganisms. It is common to use more than one preservative or antioxidant in a single product to achieve the optimum desired effect. However, it is important that product de...
This is Part 3 of a three-part series on sugar alternatives. Previous parts covered the following. This last part of the series focuses on other factors to consider when using sugar alternatives. PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 • What sugar alternatives are out there? • What sugar ...
We recently published part 1 of a three-part series on sugar alternatives, which covered the topics ‘What sugar alternatives are out there?’ and ‘What sugar alternatives are permitted in South Africa?’ Read more here. In this second episode you will find information on: Labelling su...
With sugar being the topic of many dietary conversations, the food industry is continually innovating to produce products with less sugar by adding more sugar alternatives. There are various types of sugar alternatives out there, and the details can be confusing. Regulations dictate what sugar a...