Distinguishing date markings
Among the plethora of practices about which labelling regulations appear to be unclear, date marking seems to be one that comes to the fore in many countries, including South Africa. Why is this seemingly straightforward marking requirement so often under scrutiny? And how do we ensure the requirements of the regulations are applied correctly?
The confusion around date marking is twofold. It is both the consumer not understanding the different types of date marking, and the industry’s concerns about potential risk should the consumer misunderstand the date marking. Unfortunately, adding to this are date-marking practices that are sometimes incorrect, but can even be misleading, in certain cases. These include (but are not limited to) not allowing adequate storage time between the sell-by and best-before dates, as well as the fraudulent practice of re-labelling date markings on products.
These are some of the questions we hear most often from our clients: Does my product need to carry a date marking? Should I use ‘use by’, ‘sell by’ or ‘best before’? What are the differences between them? What should my date marking look like?
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) finds the same issues plaguing the European Union (EU). As a result, they have come up with the following simple summation: The ‘use by’ date on food is about safety – foods can be eaten until this date, but not after, even if they look and smell fine. ‘Best before’ refers to quality – the food will be safe to eat after this date, but may not be at its best.
In South Africa, the information on date markings is not all to be found in one place in the Regulations Relating to Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs (R. 146/2010). We have created a simple flow diagram to assist you in correctly applying date markings to your products.
It is vital to ensure that all marketing practices, including (but not limited to) labelling, do not result in the consumer being misled.
Through regulatory consultation, label evaluation and shelf-life testing, FACTS can help to ensure that you are applying your date markings correctly.
To learn more about the South African labelling requirements, have a look at our regulatory workshops and on-site training options.
Other articles and resources you may be interested in:
Food Regulations & Standards
Going global with your food labels
Labelling of small packages and bulk stock