Healthy Eating Alliance urges public to comment on food labelling draft

The Healthy Living Alliance (Heala) is urging the public to comment on the gazetted draft by the department of health on food labelling regulations that make it mandatory for food producers to use warning labels on unhealthy packaged food.

Consumers have until July 21 to comment on the Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs that seeks to encourage them to be informed on whether their food has high contents of salt, sugar, saturated fat or contains artificial sweeteners.

“We believe food regulation is at the centre of encouraging and empowering consumers to make healthier food choices in line with the World Health Organisation’s recommendation for better regulation of the food environment.

“Front-of-package warning labels, in the shape of a black triangle, allow consumers to see the ingredients of a product at a glance, helping to increase their knowledge and change attitudes towards nutrition and health, and can help to reduce diet-related disease,” said Nzama Mbalati, programmes manager at Heala.

The overconsumption of saturated fats, salt and sugar can lead to people being overweight or obese, and can cause a range of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, said Heala.

Information now on food packages can be misleading and difficult for consumers to read and understand. The regulations therefore aim to make far-reaching changes to the way food items are labelled on store shelves in South Africa.

This includes putting a stop to calling food products “smart” or “intelligent” on food labels and prohibiting the use of descriptors such as “wholesome”, “nutritious”, “nutraceutical” or “superfood” on food labels, Mbalati said.

Words, labels, and images that in any way suggest that the food is better, or superior, are also prohibited under the new rules.

Warning labels indicating to consumers which products contain excessive amounts of sugars, total fats, saturated fats, trans fats, and salt must display such information on the front of the package — and warning labels will have to cover 25% of the front of the package.

“The draft regulations are encouraging,” said Mbalati.

“Processed foods contain high amounts of added sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives, all of which can affect children's health. These foods not only increase the risk of obesity and health problems but also displace nutrient-dense whole foods in children's diets, leading to deficiencies in vital micronutrients.

“The regulations will help consumers to be better informed about what they are feeding their families and will help them to limit processed foods and prioritise whole, fresh foods for their children's health and wellbeing.”

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