The primary objective of the DSA is the promotion of the compliance of milk and other dairy products with product composition, food safety and metrology standards.
One of the Milk SA statutory funded activities of the DSA is the development of supportive dairy technical guideline documentation (in conjunction with the organised industry) which is user friendly and serve as valuable tools throughout the dairy value chain to ensure compliance with legal standards.
DSA has now embarked on a different approach in the design and functionality of it’s current Guide to Dairy Product Labelling in South Africa by making it electronically available in a downloadable format which will be regularly updated as legislation is amended.
This interactive guide provides for a more logical step-by-step approach which makes assessment or constructing labels much easier. It also allows the user the ability to ensure that all applicable requirements are taken into account. Users are now able to access label information regarding the following products:
- Milk
- Cream
- Amasi
- Yoghurt
- Butter
- Cheese
- Feta Cheese
- Cottage Cheese
- Cream Cheese
The new labelling guide includes product images, interactive checklists as well as regulatory information which each user can access freely. To experience the full functionality of the site, users need to register. In addition to having access to all relevant regulations and dispensations, all registered users are now also able to fill in checklists and save the progress of the assessment of their labels.
This latest interactive dynamic guide is considered unique as the design allows it to be used by industry, the regulatory authorities and other stakeholders in the dairy industry as a label assessment tool for compliance with current product composition, food safety and metrology labelling standards and during design and changes of labels.
Note: The latest circulation of the draft Regulations relating to the classification, packing and marking of dairy products and imitation dairy products intended for sale in RSA (R260 of 15 March 2015) under the Agricultural Product Standards Act of 1990 is well noted by DSA. This electronic guide will automatically be updated once the above or any other legal standard come into effect.
As responsible industry member you are hereby encouraged to visit and register on the website labels.dairystandard.co.za and participate in the process of label compliance.
For any assistance with the labelling guide please contact Jodie Treu at Jodie@dairystandard.co.za
