WEBVTT - Consumer Talk: How to read food labels 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:05.240 Gape took Capsalk Consumer Talk WhatsApp on seven to two 0:00:05.600 --> 0:00:11.160 five six seven one five six seven Time for Consumer Talk, 0:00:11.280 --> 0:00:14.120 and Wendy Nola is occupied elsewhere today, so we are 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:16.600 taking the gap to bring in some expert guests who 0:00:16.600 --> 0:00:18.840 want to talk to us about something we all engage 0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:22.079 with almost every single day but really don't pay enough 0:00:22.079 --> 0:00:25.440 attention to. I'm talking about the labels on our food. 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:28.720 Whether you are picking up a loaf of bread, reaching 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:30.640 for that tuber yogurt in the fridge, or even looking 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:34.320 at a box of cereal, the label has clues contained 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:36.479 there in It tells you not only what is inside 0:00:36.479 --> 0:00:39.640 that box, but it also offers clues as to the 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:44.000 nutritional content and the percentage of recommended daily allowances, and 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:45.960 lots of things like that that we don't always fully 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:50.239 understand or know how to interpret. They are there to 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:54.360 help us make supposedly informed nutritional choices for ourselves and 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:56.360 our families, but if we don't know what we're looking 0:00:56.400 --> 0:00:58.560 at or how to make sense of what we're reading, 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:01.480 it doesn't really help. And then, as my producer Max 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:03.200 pointed out this morning, of course you add in the 0:01:03.280 --> 0:01:06.000 added complication that as we get older, those labels seem 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:08.600 to get smaller and smaller and more impossible to read. 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:10.880 Most of us end up ignoring them a lot of 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:13.440 the time. I have two guests joining us today who 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:16.120 are going to tell us about the importance of reading 0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:18.920 them and what clues they give us as to what 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:21.000 is contained in our food and how we make sense 0:01:21.040 --> 0:01:24.120 and interpret what is contained on that label. With me 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:27.479 in studio is Roxanne McCaffrey, who is a registered dietitian. 0:01:27.520 --> 0:01:28.399 It's great to have you with us. 0:01:28.440 --> 0:01:30.280 Welcome, thank you, afternoon, Ryan. 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:33.039 Thanks. And on the line via zoom is le Cerro Maroule, 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:35.320 who is a lecturer in the Department of Consumer and 0:01:35.360 --> 0:01:38.800 Food Sciences at the University of Pretoria and Leseco. It's 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:40.480 great to have you joining us as well. Welcome to 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:40.840 the show. 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:44.840 Good afternoon, Popa, thank you so much, and greetings to 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:45.560 the listeners. 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:49.240 Let's start at the very beginning, as they say, le Cercro, 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:52.240 what are the absolute basics that a food label has 0:01:52.320 --> 0:01:56.040 to contain by law in South Africa? 0:01:56.280 --> 0:01:58.960 So I think taking a bit of a step back. 0:01:59.200 --> 0:02:01.960 Sometimes you're to look at food and say, okay, this 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:04.160 is an apple, this is an orange. But when we 0:02:04.240 --> 0:02:07.600 come to more developed products that have certain ingredients, it's 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:10.720 not easy to see what they will contain, and hence 0:02:10.800 --> 0:02:12.720 we focus on ingredient lists. 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:14.280 We have information. 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:17.400 About where the product comes from, who the manufacturer is, 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:19.519 and that is just some of the information that I 0:02:19.520 --> 0:02:23.440 will highlight. So first and foremost, what's the name of 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:25.640 the product. We need to know what it is, what 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:29.880 it's called. Sometimes you might get a very complex name, 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:32.799 perhaps accord in blue, and to somebody else they might 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.200 not know what that is. But then some of these 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:38.440 products have descriptions under them and that allows a consumer 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:41.840 to make a decision that Okay, this is a chicken product, 0:02:42.080 --> 0:02:43.480 it's got pork in it. 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:44.880 Is that what I want to consume. 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:49.200 Then we get the manufacturer details, So at a worst 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:51.360 case scenario, if you buy a product and there's a 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:54.280 product recall, you need to know where that product is 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:57.040 manufactured so that it can return to that vendor or 0:02:57.080 --> 0:03:01.880 that manufacturer. Often you'll also see the contact details and 0:03:01.960 --> 0:03:05.680 the address, even information as to is it a local product? 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:08.639 Is it made in South Africa? So that is quite 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:12.840 important in terms of traceability. Next we look at the 0:03:12.840 --> 0:03:15.920 badge number also linked to the manufacturer, so that they're 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:19.440 able to say when this product was made, and if 0:03:19.480 --> 0:03:22.079 they have to do any type of testing, they will 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:25.359 then get that sample of products and know that they 0:03:25.400 --> 0:03:28.359 need to look into that. I know we'll talk about 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:32.840 the nutritional information, but yes, ultimately that is important. We 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:37.440 all might be following certain eating preferences, whether it's for health, 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:41.280 whether that's for intolerances, So even that nutritional information will 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:41.839 guide us. 0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:44.360 Then the quantity. 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:47.320 If you're buying five hundred grams, you are entitled to 0:03:47.320 --> 0:03:49.920 five hundred grams of that product, So you need to 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:53.160 look at the quantity. And you know, sometimes we do 0:03:53.200 --> 0:03:55.400 feel like we get tricked when we buy a packet 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:57.560 of chips and it says one hundred and twenty five 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:00.440 grams and inside it looks like there's only a hand 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:03.760 for But ultimately that is the quantity that they would 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:04.840 have put in that packet. 0:04:06.080 --> 0:04:07.720 What is very important. 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:09.800 Now, and I think this helps a consumer in terms 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:13.120 of keeping themselves safe, is your storage instructions. 0:04:13.360 --> 0:04:15.000 And we often take that for granted. 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:18.440 But if something says keep in dry store, keep it 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:22.040 in dry store, then often we see it says once open, 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:25.600 keep it in the refrigerator for a certain amount of time. 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:28.800 So in doing that, we're able to know that our 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:32.360 food remains safe for consumption, and if it is kept 0:04:32.400 --> 0:04:37.039 for ten days later, you shouldn't think you'll still avert 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:39.599 any food born illnesses, which we really don't want the 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.479 consumer to experience. So how to store your product is 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:46.240 ultimately very important, whether it's frozen, refrigerated, or kept in 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:50.200 your or covert. The next important one of the dates, 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:53.480 and it's a big one because sometimes we look at 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:57.960 the sell buy or expiration date or the best before 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:01.400 date and we think that's information for us as a consumer. 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:04.800 The truth is it has nothing to do with us. 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:09.200 Based before dates is a promise by the manufacturer or 0:05:09.839 --> 0:05:13.040 whoever provides that product, to say this product is at 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:17.000 its best before this date. It's a quality promise, and 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:20.120 that's why it is more for the retailer. Then we 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:23.720 often get manufactured dates, also more linked to the retailer 0:05:23.920 --> 0:05:27.520 for traceability, to say this is when this product was made. 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:32.080 Then another one that we get is the sell by date. 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:35.640 Again, sal buy doesn't mean if I eat it the 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:38.159 day after, something is going to go wrong. But you 0:05:38.240 --> 0:05:41.560 often will find that retailers will either take that product 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:45.000 off the shelf or we also see these products these 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:48.719 days being marked down and sold at a lower price. Yeah, 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:53.080 and that ultimately should help us with not wasting food, right, 0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:57.200 especially if that is an initiative from the retailer. But ultimately, 0:05:57.279 --> 0:06:01.360 with these dates, it's quality more. It's more about quality, 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:04.679 and it's also just for the manufacturers with therefore casting 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:08.640 to know how to rotate those commodities in their stores. 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:10.720 Okay, I'm almost that the. 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:13.400 Bigger one, and I think the core as. 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:15.679 It would be the ingredients. 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:18.919 So, like I said, we all purchase and consume for 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:22.080 different reasons, and the ingredients, which is usually on the 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:25.479 back of pack label, allows us to see what is 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:29.080 there and in what quantities. The ingredients are listed in 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:32.800 descending order. So if you have something that is listed 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:37.360 first that product and that ingredient has a higher composition 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:42.720 first in that particular product, and then thereafter it's all 0:06:42.760 --> 0:06:46.680 the other ingredients and in the lesser quantities. Why this 0:06:46.839 --> 0:06:49.200 is important, and I think I'll give an example closer 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:49.600 to home. 0:06:50.720 --> 0:06:53.359 My father doesn't drink cool drink anymore. 0:06:53.600 --> 0:06:55.960 Yeah, that are too matter when he was young, so 0:06:56.080 --> 0:06:59.480 now he's on juice, but he insists on one hundred 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:02.479 percent of orange juice. Now with certain products we know 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:07.000 or certain brands, we can trust that it's one hundred 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:08.120 percent orange juice. 0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:10.320 But now some products will say. 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:14.120 Orange food juice, and what that means is that there 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:17.320 might be other types of fruit juice in that product. 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:20.600 But looking at the bad label, we'll tell you that 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:25.600 sixty seventy eighty percent is truly orange juice, and then 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:29.040 the other components will also be there. This is not 0:07:29.200 --> 0:07:32.840 meant to mislead the consumer, because ultimately we're looking for 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:37.560 good quality, tasty products and those other ingredients might just enhance. 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:39.920 The orange juice. But if you are. 0:07:39.800 --> 0:07:42.720 Strictly looking for something that is one hundred percent of something, 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:47.080 that should be listed first, and often it's in brackets 0:07:47.080 --> 0:07:50.160 with the percentage of how much it is within that 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:53.760 particular product. So that's quite an important thing to be 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:57.200 able to see what ingredients are in what you might 0:07:57.240 --> 0:08:01.520 be avoiding based on even how comes. So some people 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:05.000 will be avoiding chili if you have perhaps ulcers, you 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.560 can see that from the back of pack label. If 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:13.360 you are glutant, intolerant, or experienced ciliac disease, you will 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:16.600 see that from the back of pack label. Some of 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:19.360 the symbols I think we'll just touch on that too, 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:24.160 that most manufacturers should if not symbols rather, but the 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:26.880 words that should be on packages will tell you about 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:33.160 the allergies. So common allergies peanuts, te nuts, eggs. Some 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:37.439 people are allergic to eggs. There are sulfites in products 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:41.920 which will play the role of being preservatives. Shellfish a 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:45.640 big allergy, soy and often will see that there is 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:49.280 cow's milk or any dairy in a product, So that 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.320 will be for various reasons, but ultimately that information is 0:08:52.320 --> 0:08:55.680 there to protect the consumer because at a worst case scenario, 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:59.000 if there is a true allergy, it is threatening to 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:03.080 the health. Sometimes it's an intolerance like lactose. You don't 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:06.160 want to be uncomfortable for having consumed something, yet you 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:10.040 are lactose intolerant. And then a little bit with the 0:09:10.120 --> 0:09:15.360 other labeling has to do with religious consumption dietary laws. 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:19.240 So if you think of the Jewish dietary laws, you 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:22.240 will find a symbol that says this is safe to 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:25.840 consume and is regarded as kosher. Same with the Islamic 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:29.560 dietary laws. If something has been produced and in the 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:33.280 right manufacturing plant, you will you will see a symbol 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:36.760 that says it is allowed certified. Yeah, so that will 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:39.800 help consumer say, Okay, this is not this is not 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:42.120 aligned to what I believe in. I shouldn't be consuming 0:09:42.160 --> 0:09:45.400 pork or dairy and meat at the same time, and 0:09:45.480 --> 0:09:48.560 any other religious laws that we tend to follow. And 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:50.840 then you'll know from looking at the ingredient list at 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:55.560 the back not to purchase that product. But now that's 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:56.199 the majority. 0:09:56.400 --> 0:09:59.200 Thanks, and that's a really comprehensive list. Thank you, Lisho, 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:01.280 and please stay with us, don't go away. We're going 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:03.640 to take a very short break and then come back 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:06.599 with some listener follow up questions and then a dietitian's 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:10.720 perspective on interpretation of all of those symbols and lists, 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:13.080 et cetera that you've explained to us so well. So 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:14.920 please stay with us, and if you'd like to ask 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:17.840 a question, as many are already doing, send a WhatsApp 0:10:17.840 --> 0:10:21.360 to seven two five sixty seven one five six seven. 0:10:22.679 --> 0:10:26.760 Join the conversation. Join the conversation you're with Kate talk. 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:30.240 We continue to the far more serious topic of food labels, 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:32.760 and it is a serious topic. We don't do enough 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:35.880 reading of them, and Keith I absolutely agree with you 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:37.960 a lot of the time the font size on the 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:40.360 package is so small you can't read it. 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:41.760 You get to a. 0:10:41.720 --> 0:10:44.600 Certain age and you either permanently have the glasses on, 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:47.079 or like me, you've permanently reaching you for your phone 0:10:47.200 --> 0:10:49.360 to take a photograph and magnify the label so you 0:10:49.400 --> 0:10:52.480 can actually read it. Dennis thinks food manufacturers should just 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:55.240 have a QR code instead of all that fine prints, 0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:57.920 and then it can just be read from your phone. Dennis, 0:10:58.040 --> 0:11:00.360 I think if we did that, nobody would read any 0:11:00.400 --> 0:11:03.520 of it. Ever, I suspect, so I don't know that 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:05.360 I agree with you. I don't think I would be 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:08.800 engaged enough to take up my phone, scan a QR 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:12.640 code and then read the fine print. I suspect I 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:14.800 probably wouldn't. Maybe that's a sign that I'm lazy. 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:15.360 But there we go. 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:18.120 Just to remind of our guests with us on zoom 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:20.439 Le Serra Maroule, who is a lecturer in the Department 0:11:20.440 --> 0:11:23.959 of Consumer and Food Sciences at the University of Pretoria 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:26.160 and before the news BREAKSECU did a very good job 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:28.800 outlining for us what has to appear on our food 0:11:28.880 --> 0:11:33.319 labels in South Africa. Listening in in studio was Roxanne McCaffrey, 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:35.760 who is a registered dietitian, and I want to pick 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.400 her brain a little bit about interpreting what all of 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:42.240 that information tells us and making better choices when we 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:47.120 make choices. As Parlo correctly says, the more unprocessed food 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:49.120 we buy, the less we need to worry about any 0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:51.280 of the labels. A clove of garlic doesn't need a 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:54.560 contents label, says Parlo and Bakov And he's absolutely right, 0:11:55.160 --> 0:11:57.559 isn't he love you to have you with us, and 0:11:57.920 --> 0:12:01.160 thank you so much for joining us this afternoon. A 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:04.720 lot of people would deliberately try to avoid the overprocessed, 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:08.320 the over salted, over sugared, high fat content foods et 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:11.760 cet trend. For them, reading these labels is absolutely essential information. 0:12:11.880 --> 0:12:13.280 Do you want to tell us a little bit about 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:16.080 the kind of red flags nutritionally that we should be 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:16.760 looking out for. 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:21.880 Yes, thank you, Papa, So red flags. Obviously we all 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:25.320 choose food for different types of reasons, but from a 0:12:25.320 --> 0:12:27.319 health point of view, obviously we want to have a 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:30.840 look at your nutritional table. So most products will have 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:34.920 a nutritional table on fun facts. It's actually not mandatory 0:12:35.080 --> 0:12:38.000 by the law. It is only mandatory if you make 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:41.880 a nutrition related claim. So if you are saying loan 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:44.840 fat high in fiber, then you have to put the 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:48.560 nutritional table on. Otherwise you can include it voluntarily, which 0:12:48.640 --> 0:12:53.720 most people or companies do for consumer knowledge. So we 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:56.800 want to know what we buying from the nutritional table. 0:12:57.320 --> 0:12:59.840 We want to have a look at the recommended serving 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:02.760 I would say is very important how much of this 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:06.840 food should we be eating. If your serving size is 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:09.520 really small for the amount that you plan on eating, 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:13.679 then it's probably not the best food to eat all 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:17.440 the time, because your serving size is chosen on what 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:22.400 is nutritionally appropriate, Okay. And then secondly, the ingredient list 0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:25.559 like less sacramention is very important, not only for allergies 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.440 and tolerances those types of things, but if sugar is 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:31.599 your verse, second or third ingredient, you know it's in 0:13:31.640 --> 0:13:34.640 the highest quantity, you know, So having a look at 0:13:34.800 --> 0:13:37.360 what is first an ingredient is going to be the 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:39.439 majority of what is in that food. 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:41.920 I'm so glad you mentioned the serving size issue. So 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:45.320 the giant bag of hurryboor jelly bears, which I'll probably 0:13:45.320 --> 0:13:47.160 find if you only have the four, five, six or 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:50.959 seven bears, that are actually the recommended serving portion. It's 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:52.760 going to be a completely different story if you're eating 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:54.960 twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine of them in one go, 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.960 as some of us would do if we allowed ourselves to. 0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:00.840 I mean, and that's something people own. Look, I mean, 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:03.720 quite often that information is given in a serving size 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.120 and in a grams per hundred grams sort of format. 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:09.760 Is it important to take notes of both of those? 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:11.720 I think a lot of people get overwhelmed and don't 0:14:11.800 --> 0:14:13.480 really know which one they should pay heed to. 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:16.600 Yes, so all tables at least need to have per 0:14:16.679 --> 0:14:19.640 hundred grams and per serving. So one hundred grams is 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:22.440 nice when you're comparing two of the same food stuffs. 0:14:22.600 --> 0:14:24.920 If you're comparing two different cereals, it's nice to look 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:28.960 at per hundred grams differences between them, which one's higher 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:31.280 in fiber, which one's higher in protein. But then it's 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:34.680 also important to take into consideration you're recommended serving size. 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:37.360 If you're going to eat more of the one or 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:41.560 the other serving size is lower, then you know it's 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:44.760 important to take that into consideration when you're comparing them. 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:48.680 Okay, you've mentioned sugar, you've mentioned salt, you've mentioned fat. 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:51.720 The one sort of hidden thing that people tend to 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:53.720 gloss over because they don't really understand it is when 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:56.680 they see a label that's got a long chemical compound name. 0:14:57.440 --> 0:14:59.800 I mean, it's sort of kind of nonsensically a way 0:14:59.800 --> 0:15:01.520 to put that on there, because not all of us 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:07.080 know what triglamorophosphide, you know, BC fifteen represents, and making 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:09.280 that up by the way, but anything you'd like to 0:15:09.320 --> 0:15:12.000 say about that. Are there particular ones that we should 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:14.200 be alert to that are sort of hiding in plain 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:16.600 sight that are actually not the greatest thing to be 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:17.560 putting into your body. 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:21.240 Yes, So, actually the regulations do try help consumers a 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:25.160 little bit. So they do say that additives, certain additives 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:27.600 can be listed by their category names, so what they 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:30.320 are used for. So instead of that long chemical name, 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:34.040 they can just call it emulsifier or anti caking agents, 0:15:34.320 --> 0:15:37.880 raising agents, which helps the consumer understand why that compound 0:15:37.920 --> 0:15:40.760 is being put into the food. And then there is 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:45.240 a misconception about processed the word process. Yeah, agreed, we 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:49.320 should all be eating more whole foods, fruits, vegetables, but 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:53.040 there is a place for processed food where it needs 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.960 to be processed in order to last long, to feed 0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:58.960 the planet, and then also for its properties. 0:15:59.000 --> 0:15:59.280 You know. 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:04.920 Those E numbers as well, they are just the compound name, 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:09.160 and actually you have thirty something E numbers in a 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:13.440 tomato or banana. They're actually organic compounds that are named 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:17.640 with an E. They are not necessarily harmful or are 0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:19.280 to hurt you, you know. 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:22.280 Yes, it's important to know eat them all the time. 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:27.600 No, but they are not necessarily the worst thing. 0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:28.120 You know. 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:33.120 They actually are added for a specific sensory reason into 0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:33.840 the food. 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:36.200 Now, Stephen asking if you could please, are the one 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:38.720 thing he sees on a label and doesn't really understand. 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:41.040 It's the two part questions. But the first part is this, 0:16:41.320 --> 0:16:44.680 what is meant by reconstituted food? How would you interpret 0:16:44.720 --> 0:16:45.240 that phrase? 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:48.040 Yes, so, actually the regulations say that you have to 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:53.120 indicate if a ingredient is reconstituted, and that just basically 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:55.680 means mixed with water. So if you are adding milk 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:59.600 powder and it's reconstituted, it's milk powder made into milk 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:06.119 again and then added into the product reconstituted fruit juice. 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:10.520 They taking fruit concentrate and then reconstituting till to its 0:17:11.200 --> 0:17:12.879 desired sweetness again. 0:17:13.080 --> 0:17:16.200 Okay, okay, So remember the conversation we had on Friday 0:17:16.200 --> 0:17:18.840 about freeze dried breast milk that comes out as powdered 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:20.600 at the end of that process. It's then mixed back 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:25.560 with water to make reconstituted breast milk effectively same process, Steve, 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:28.840 and I hope that's clarified for you. Andre says, use 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:31.280 the Magnifier app. Yes, I do, Andre on my phone. 0:17:31.320 --> 0:17:34.200 It's brilliant. It does help you read a food label 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:36.760 and as cooking instructions. As you mentioned, those are two 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.560 things I'm struggling with these days. If I'm using a 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:41.359 spice mix or something like that and I need to 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:44.280 be able to read a very tiny label. The Magnifier app, 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.240 which you can download on your phone, is a huge help. Andre. 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:48.199 You know what. 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:49.879 My glasses are a huge help. I just have to 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:51.280 make peace of the fact that I need to be 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:55.200 wearing them more than I used to these days. Okay, 0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:56.960 So a comment on the WhatsApp here from one of 0:17:56.960 --> 0:18:00.000 our listeners saying burivors used to be a casing meat 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:03.119 and fat with some herbs and spices. These days, it 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:07.320 seems it's all sulfates phosphates, colorant, flavorance, and a host 0:18:07.400 --> 0:18:10.119 of other unknowns. Would you like to respond to that comment. 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:14.560 Yes, So burrovors is actually under our raw processed meat 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:17.879 regulations under the Department of Agriculture, and there are actually 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:22.040 strict guidelines that you have to follow. For example, colorance 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:25.679 legally cannot be added to borovorce. They may be added 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:30.840 to other types of straw sausages, but to call something 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:33.959 a burrivorse, you actually legally cannot put colorance in it. 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:37.560 So that is how they try and control. I just 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:41.000 do think that there is a gap for you know, 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:44.520 knowing exactly the name that you're buying versus what should 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:45.320 it shouldn't be in it. 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.199 We have discussed this is Wendy Nola before, the difference 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:51.359 between borivors and what's often marketed as brievorse. There's also 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:55.680 restrictions or limitations and requirements in terms of fat percentage 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:58.119 and how much can be added in terms of fillers 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:00.480 and that sort of thing. So really it is one 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:03.040 to watch very carefully. It's so tempting when you're rushing 0:19:03.080 --> 0:19:05.760 into the store to grab what looks like burrivorce and 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:08.760 realize when you get home that you bought brivase or 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:10.960 sausage as it's sometimes labeled, and it's a different thing. 0:19:11.000 --> 0:19:13.680 It's got lots more additives to it. So one thing 0:19:13.720 --> 0:19:16.320 to be very aware of, Claire saying, one issue I 0:19:16.400 --> 0:19:20.000 have is manufacturers over protecting themselves, for example with storage 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:23.880 instructions in the same way that many clothing labels will 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:27.439 sometimes say dry clean or cold wash only, which really 0:19:27.480 --> 0:19:32.119 isn't necessary. Sometimes the food labels seem to me equally nannyish, 0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:35.159 so they're often ignored. There's also some onus on the 0:19:35.200 --> 0:19:39.040 labelers to post accurate and practical instructions that people trust 0:19:39.080 --> 0:19:42.080 there are realistic. Would you like to respond to that comment. 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:44.600 Do you think that that maybe they're erring on the 0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:46.760 side of being overly cautious because they don't want to 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:50.320 have lawsuit if somebody is a little bit too lazy 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:52.080 daisy with with how their store products. 0:19:52.359 --> 0:19:55.160 Yes, definitely, But we also need to remember the Consumer 0:19:55.200 --> 0:19:59.080 Protection Act that it needs to be understandable for all consumers. 0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:01.920 So for some people it's obvious that this tomato source 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:05.720 goes in the fridge. Some people it's not that obvious. Yeah, 0:20:05.760 --> 0:20:09.719 so you need to reach the whole market. In South Africa. 0:20:10.480 --> 0:20:12.320 Okay, thanks An. If you would like to ask a 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:15.359 question or keep on commenting, please send WhatsApps to seven 0:20:15.480 --> 0:20:18.800 two five six seven one five sixty seven. I wanted 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:20.440 to just bring La Ceco back in at this point, 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:22.840 Lea Cercro. We're hearing here about all the kinds of 0:20:22.840 --> 0:20:25.240 ways in which products are described on our labeling and 0:20:25.240 --> 0:20:28.120 the fact that there is certain terminology that can only 0:20:28.160 --> 0:20:31.600 be used under very strict conditions and certain requirements being met. 0:20:32.040 --> 0:20:36.480 In general, do you think that our food labeling laws 0:20:36.560 --> 0:20:41.359 are strict enough, too strict, not strict enough? How does 0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:44.720 South Africa compare to to other countries, and any comments 0:20:44.720 --> 0:20:46.600 on where you think we're getting it right and where 0:20:46.600 --> 0:20:48.040