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When you go to your local grocery store and look around, you are more likely than not to see someone scrutinising the labels of foods. But there a just about one hundred different reasons why. Whether it is to:

- compare protein content,

- compare calorie content,

- look for hidden ingredients,

- look for religious confirming stamps i.e. halaal/kosher,

The list truly goes on. But why are so many people turning to the backs of their pasta boxes and peanut butter desserts? Because they trust the labels. They trust that what is printed on that lable as a true and scientific reflection of the contents.

Many dietitians, including myself, spend many hours coaching clients and patients on how to read these labels with understanding. How to make better choices for their health. But what happens when you cannot trust the label? In South Africa, this last week has had another incidence where the label was not a true reflection of the contents. Products on the shelf since 2023 have been recalled this past week due to labelling non-compliance…

Although the South African labelling regulation (better known as R146) is clear with what shall and may be on a product label, inaccuracies happen for various reasons. Sometimes, these reasons are as simple as:

- not understanding the regulation,

- knowing that the regulation exists,

- unintentional contamination

But sometimes, more sinister motives are at play such as:

- intentional contamination

-intentional fraud

The stock cubes in question have officially been recalled by manufacturers, Tiger Brands, with nation-wide news coverage. The specific reason for its recall is due to nutritional inaccuracies regarding sodium content… sodium, better known as salt. For those living with conditions such as hypertension or cardiac disease, salt takes up a large portion of their thoughts when thinking about food,

It is paramount to remember that most labelling non-compliances is not done with malicious intent, but rather a result of human error. But when dealing with items we consume, locally, nationally and internationally in many cases, having a proactive and transparent food safety team is vital in ensuring the safety of the customers.

So if you are wondering what the difference between oats (naturally gluten-free) and oats with a specific ‘gluten-free’ label is? Or would like to know all the different synonyms for salt, please contact your go-to dietitian or feel free to contact me via email: stepswithnutrition@gmail.com

Until next time

Shelldon Athena Breda, Registered Dietitian, M.Sc.