The mystery of labels

In the first of a series of educational articles aimed at informing consumers, FoodSure gives advice on how to read labels

South African law dictates that the label on a product matches its contents. But, says Amanda Rogaly, MD and founder of FoodSure, most South Africans don't know what they should be looking out for, nor how to check the validity of claims.

The first rule all companies have to follow is making sure the product name is not misleading. Norah-Ann Hayes, a food labelling consultant for FoodSure, gives this example: "A cake cannotbe described as strawberry cake if it contains flavouring but not actual strawberries. It would need to be labelled as strawberry-flavoured cake."

Similarly, only authorised nutrient content claims may be made, for example "low fat" or "high in protein". "No claims are allowed to be made around antioxidants or, for instance, that a food helps reduce risk of disease," says Hayes.

While the fat and calorie content is important, other ingredients, such as sodium, must be considered. Says Rogaly: "If a product proclaims that it is low in sodium, but the information on the label lists sodium in the top few rows of the nutritional value information, then sodium is one of the primary ingredients. The label has to reflect the weights of ingredients, from highest to lowest."

If an ingredient is highlighted, either in the product name or in pictures, the percentage contained in the product must be declared in the ingredients list.

"Information on the major eight allergens must either be declared in the ingredients list or stated as 'contains' at the end of the ingredients list," says Hayes.

Another vital detail is the sell-by or use-by date. "A best-before date refers only to the shelf life of an unopened product," she says. "To protect the consumer, products that can microbiologically become unsafe require a use-by date."