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Health experts have raised questions as to whether new food labelling legislation, aimed at giving consumers information about the products they eat, is as effective as it should be.

The food labelling laws came into effect in March.

But dietician and consultant Jane Badham said there were major problems with enforcing the legislation.

"We are in situation in which the Health Department makes good laws but, once again, where is the enforcement?" Badham asks.

Dietician Moira Byers agrees.

"On the one hand many manufacturers have complied at great cost and passed these costs on to the consumer; and on the other hand many products continue to make non-scientific claims without evidence, which mislead and confuse consumers."

Examples of an outlawed claim is the phrase "95% fat free".

"This is because if a food has 5% fat, it is actually not fat free," Byers said.

The laws have benefited the consumer by offering more information about a product, said food consultant Norah-Ann Hayes. But many dieticians don't agree, saying the non- compliance by smaller companies and a lack of enforcement affect consumers.

A look at supermarket shelves show that some products get away with vague ingredient lists, unproven claims such as "less than 2% fat" and outlawed words such as "natural", "wholesome" and "healthy".

"Enforcement by the health department is so poor that consumers remain unprotected," said Badham.

Hayes said on a positive note the laws had resulted in port officials being much stricter about products imported into the country.

She has "not heard of health officials taking products" off the shelves, but said "retailers have become stricter on ensuring that products listed in their stores are correctly labelled. This has led to far more enforcement than could have been possible with only the Department of Health involved."

Health Department spokesman Joe Maila said consumers who want to complain about incorrect food labelling can approach municipal environmental health practitioners.

But he admitted there were "challenges related to the availability of sufficient resources to address compliance, monitoring and enforcement of legislation, including as it relates to the labelling regulations".

Comments

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Sun May 26 07:26:05 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 15, 2012

MissBhakajuju

75% of S.A woman being overweight ??? NO, I think this is just exagarrated.....
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Oct 15, 2012

Iphone5

lol where do u fall @MissBhakajuju
75% / 25 % ?
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Oct 15, 2012

babyfats

unayo i -aass maaaaaaaaan
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Oct 15, 2012

MommaC

TJO !!!! Dit is nou 'n BOUD !!!

Two thirds of the country doesn't care what is in the food as long as it is within their means to purchase it and it fills their stomachs.
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Oct 15, 2012

asaowe

and very difficult to locate a toy
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Oct 15, 2012

warry

this is tsunami, a huge body wave.
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Oct 15, 2012

Maths2

I have to agree, they dragged me to some jazz joint in Pheli, haai they are loaded. HOPEFULLY my woman doesnt get there.
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Oct 15, 2012

thandoluhle

south african woman are some of the FATEST woman on earth.
Big boobs
Big Ass
Big tommy
Big cheeks
Big heads
Big hands
Big thighs

and the reasons for this?
-women love to drink
-women love to eat meat and junks
-woman are lazy in bed

WE SA WOMEN NEED TO STAND UP AND CHANGE OUR WAYS
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Oct 15, 2012

thandoluhle

south african women are some of the FATEST women on earth.
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Oct 15, 2012

MissBhakajuju

@ Iphone5

LOL.....i fall in the 25%
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