24 Aug GI and Diabetes SA endorsement logos get official approval
The GIFSA and Diabetes SA endorsement logos have been officially approved by the Dept of Health, reports Jan Delport of the GI Foundation of South Africa. R146, the new labelling regulations, requires all food endorsement logos to get approval from the DoH.
“As the administrator of this endorsement program, GIFSA is both grateful and honoured,” says Delport. “We have been cleared to continue our service to the industry and believe think that firstly the health of the consumer and secondly the industry as a whole stand to benefit greatly.
“This approval enables the GI Foundation to carry on with its work and this should facilitate the development of numerous lower GI, lower fat, food products that would enable the SA consumer to make easier healthy choices when they go grocery shopping. It is the only foodstuff endorsement logos that assesses the blood glucose impact of a foodstuff, which is specifically important for the prevention of lifestyle diseases, as well as diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, etc.”
The GIFSA logos consist of four different logos that simplifies a healthy food choice for the consumer. One of the conditions specified for the continuation of the program is that the logos must be void of any health claims. GIFSA anticipated this requirement and has altered the logos to fall in line.
The new logos are to be used as soon as possible and definitely not later than March 2012. The full set of specifications are available on the www.gifoundation.com website.
“Those products that display the endorsement logos have an advantage in the market place. We want to invite new companies with health-oriented products to contact us about possible endorsement of their products. In a time when any health claim on your label is a risk, using the GIFSA and/or Diabetes SA logo is an excellent way to differentiate a healthy food product from the rest,” concludes Delport.
Jan Delport: www.gifoundation.com
T: 013 744-0701