NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 1611
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 17 June 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)
Mrs S V Kalyan (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether he has been informed of a complaint by a certain person (name
furnished) regarding artificial additives and dairy substitutes; if
so,
(2) whether he has launched an investigation into this complaint; if not,
why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW1814E
REPLY:
1) Yes, the Directorate: Food Control of the Department of Health has
received a complaint by email message from the said person, regarding
artificial additives and dairy substitutes.
2) No, following a discussion which took place in June 2010 with
colleagues of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
(DAFF), who also received the same complaint from the same person, it
was established that the matter relating to diary substitutes is
specifically covered by the legislation that DAFF deals with, namely
the Regulations Relating to Dairy and Imitation Dairy Products (R.2580
and R.2581 of November 1987, as amended), published by the Minister of
DAFF in terms of the Agricultural Products Standards Act, 1990. The
mentioned Regulations require, among others, that dairy substitutes
products should comply with all the relevant requirements of the
regulations published by the Minister of Health in terms of the
Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972),
such as the regulations relating to food additives and the new
regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs,
which comes into effect on 01 March 2012. It was therefore agreed that
officials of DAFF will continue to investigate the matter and if
needed, take remedial action, as well as further liaise with officials
of the Department of Health.
It has come to the attention of the Department of Health that
Honourable Kalyan asked the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries the same question (Question No. 1612), and that DAFF
provided in their reply, full details of their investigation into this
matter.
END.