The food labelling case study illustrated examples of noncompliant food labels in terms of local labelling legislation, (regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs and related matters). The regulation aims to ensure consumers are provided with nutritional, compositional and other information related to foodstuffs manufactured, imported and sold in South Africa. This legislation helps consumers make informed choices about the foods they purchase and tries to ensure they are not misled by unscrupulous food manufacturers, importers or sellers.
Common food labelling nonconformance include improper date marking, letter sizing that is too small, incorrect allergen warnings or allergen-free claims, misleading descriptions or pictures as well as non-permissable or unsubstantiated claims or statements.
"Swift Silliker's experienced food labelling consultants will help clients make sure their food labels comply with current legislation.
Assistance ranges from label reviews (assessing a current label's compliance), drawing up new label information from scratch, determining the nutritional values that must be indicated for a specific product (and how it should be displayed), adapting foreign labels to SA labelling requirements or adapting SA labels to the appropriate legislation of an export destination," said Bester.
"After 22 years as market leaders in microbiological testing in South Africa, August 2013 marked the beginning of a new era for Swift Silliker, with the launch of our state-of-the-art chemistry laboratory in Midrand, Johannesburg. This laboratory was opened in response to ongoing market demands for us to broaden our scope and become a one-stop service provider," she said.
The laboratory can test for moisture, total solid and protein content, sodium, the pH of various foods, sugar and fatty acids content, total fat and ash content, as well as certain mycotoxins (Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2).
"Where analyses, methods and product matrices can not yet be done, we ship samples to our laboratories in Europe," she said.
For more information contact: Monique Visser (product specialist: nutritional analysis, labelling & physical testing) on 021 683 8436 of Charlene Langtrey (client liaison: Southern Cape) on 044 873 0855 or visit the website: www.swift.co.za.
From left: Marla van der Merwe and Charlene Langtrey (Swift Silliker), Enid Williams (Mosstrich) and Monique Visser (Swift Silliker).
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