LABELLING FOOD IN SOUTH AFRICA

The document notes that South African law does not require explanatory text for food date labels, which leads to consumer misunderstanding and unnecessary food waste. It references the 'Foodstuffs, Cosmetics: Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs', R146, and mentions upcoming R2 regulations. Certain products, such as alcoholic beverages, honey, and vinegar, are listed as having specific dates of durability, while some products may remain marketable after their date labels have passed.

• South African food products lack a legal requirement for explanatory text to define date labels, which often results in consumer misunderstanding and increased food waste.
• Food labelling is governed by the 'Foodstuffs, Cosmetics: Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs', R146, with R2 regulations expected to be passed soon.
• Specific food items with dates of durability include honey, vinegar, alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, confectionery products, processed meat, and ready-to-eat meat and poultry.

APA

WWF South Africa (n.d.). LABELLING FOOD IN SOUTH AFRICA. http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/labelling_food_in_south_africa.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. LABELLING FOOD IN SOUTH AFRICA. n.d. http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/labelling_food_in_south_africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=LABELLING FOOD IN SOUTH AFRICA |url=http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/labelling_food_in_south_africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafricandlabelling, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{LABELLING FOOD IN SOUTH AFRICA}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/labelling_food_in_south_africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }