The Government Analyst/Food and Drug Department says that foreign language food and drug labels are proliferating in the country and it warned again that English labels are required on all imported commodities and it will be seizing products that don’t comply.
In a press release, the Department said it has been forced to act after noticing a recent inundation of food, human and veterinary drugs, cosmetic and medical devices with labels written in Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Arabic and Spanish on the domestic market.
The Food and Drug Act and its supporting regulations mandate that all regulated articles offered for sale should be properly displayed in English so that they can be readily understood by the intended user.
“Proper labelling allows consumers to make safe, healthy, sustainable and informed choices at the point of sale,” the Department said. Accordingly, the information on the label should be commensurate with the technical knowledge, experience and education of intended users, that is, it should be readily understood by the intended user. Labelling of regulated articles must not only be viewed as a market tool but an integral part of communication between, for example, manufacturers and distributors.
Food labels contain information on the ingredient list which informs on health, nutrition, quality and safety. They also provide useful information on potential allergens and shelf-life. Also, persons may have preferences because of religious and other beliefs and thus, the right to make discriminatory choices.
Some temperature-sensitive foods may warrant specific storage information, for both the maintenance of quality and safety specifications, the Department noted, adding that information may also be necessary to guide preparation and consumption to negate food safety risks. “The country of origin is important, especially for dairy and meat based products and allow for risk assessment on zoonotic diseases.
Also to inform on countries that are known producers of substandard and defective products,” the release said.
According to the release, cosmetic and medical device labels must communicate performance-based information, such as precaution warnings, proper functioning and operations and level of effectiveness.
Safety information on sun protection, allergens and hypo allergens are also required and ingredient listing is of primary importance to assure that all ingredients are approved and used in stipulated quantities.
“Of particular importance are the sun protection ingredients, skin lightening ingredients containing steroids which can be absorbed and penetrate skin in significant quantities,” it added.
Herbal cosmetics are also emerging as a very key group with health implications, since many are manufactured by unapproved manufacturers and may contain contaminants that are injurious to health, the Department said.
