Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen, has commended a joint operation to remove products that were incorrectly labelled and sold as honey-based syrup from various stores in Gauteng.
The operation conducted by the Directorate: Inspection Services (D: IS) within the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), targeted products marked as “honey-based” syrup which were red-flagged by the increased number of complaints nationally.
Gauteng was the first province where the directorate conducted joint operations with the assistance from the Provincial Illicit and Counterfeit Goods Unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Among the wholesalers visited during the operation, include Crowns Mines and Kempton Park in Johannesburg, and Laudium and Marabastad in Pretoria.
Steenhuisen said from 25 to 29 November 2024, the team seized a total of 1 059 “honey-based” syrups and 388 honey products, which were non-compliant according to marking requirements. This prompted directions to be issued by the directorate, with SAPS members issued two wholesalers with R1 500 fines for each wholesaler.
Steenhuisen said the seizures of such products will be expanded to other provinces in a bid to ensure citizens get quality goods they intended to purchase.
The Minister warned that the products pose a health risk, especially to the compromised communities suffering from diseases, such as diabetes.
“The main concern with incorrect labelling, misleading information and quality of these products is that consumers buy them thinking they are buying a product that is beneficial to their health, when in fact it may compromise their health,” Steenhuisen said.
The Directorate: Inspection Services is responsible for enforcement of certain agricultural products in terms of Agricultural Product Standards Act (APS), 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990), among others. The Act regulates the quality and marking of certain agricultural products and ensures that products comply with the minimum requirements as prescribed by the regulations under the APS Act at point of sale.
“Prescribed marking requirements in these regulations are there for the protection of consumers and providing them with accurate and relevant information regarding a product, and to allow the consumer to make a sound decision on the product,” the Minister said.
Steenhuisen has also encouraged consumers to report foodstuff that is incorrectly labelled.
Complaints regarding the selling of incorrectly labelled foodstuff can be reported to Billy Malose Makhafola, Director: Food Safety and Quality Assurance on (012) 319 6535, or email BillyM [at] dalrrd.gov.za.
The article originally appeared in an SA News newsletter, 6 December. Find it here.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-spoon-with-honey-302163/
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Relevant Agribook pages include “Beekeeping” and “Food safety and traceability“.
