SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2024
Supplement to the integrated annual report for the year ended 30 September 2024
Supplement to the integrated annual report for the year ended 30 September 2024
We are building the integrity of our portfolio by renovating our existing product range to comply with robust nutritional standards, meet modern food labelling requirements and move our existing products, labels and ingredients towards alignment with best-practice initiatives in health and nutrition.
Basic nutrition labelling, along with the declaration of ingredients and allergens, is regulated by South Africa’s Department of Health through regulations on the advertising and labelling of foodstuffs. Our health and nutrition strategy guides our labelling practices, with a focus on helping consumers make informed food choices to improve their health and nutrition.
Through our Eat Well Live Well (EWLW) nutrition initiative, we have implemented an easy-to-read labelling system across all product packs, which includes the EWLW stamp of approval and a guideline daily amounts (GDA) table. We ensure that all our products comply with both national labelling regulations and our internal EWLW nutrition labelling requirements when they go to market.
Our marketing materials management system provides clear internal guidance on presenting product artwork, labels, marketing, and advertising (see here). Nutritional guidelines are integrated into these processes, as well as our product innovation procedures. Product formulations, artwork and other marketing materials pass through our nutrition, regulatory and legal teams before final approval. We continue to restructure label architectures and artwork across various brands to accommodate more nutrition information where necessary.
We declare ingredients, allergens and additives on our products, along with information on irradiation and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), in accordance with regulations under the Foodstuff, Cosmetics and Disinfectant Act, Agricultural Products Standards Act and Consumer Protection Act. Additionally, we provide nutrient content claims on KOO products and Black Cat peanut butter, highlighting fibre content and its benefits for gut health.
Many consumers have concerns about genetically modified (GM) foodstuffs. All GM commodities on the market in South Africa are government-approved and considered safe. The presence of GM ingredients is declared on product labels to uphold consumer choice, rather than to suggest that GM foods are unsafe. We support consumer education on health and nutrition, encouraging consumers to be informed about their food and make choices accordingly.
We are closely monitoring regulatory changes regarding front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling and marketing to children in South Africa, following the draft regulations published in April 2023. Our company has aligned on a position regarding these regulations, guiding our engagement with the government and other stakeholders. Our goal is to contribute to the development of FOP labelling and marketing practices that best support informed food choices and public health improvements through nutrition in South Africa.
We fully comply with national regulations requiring the labelling and declaration of ingredients, additives and allergens. We maintain adherence to the on-pack nutrition labelling requirements of our Eat Well Live Well (EWLW) and GDA labelling initiatives.
We actively monitor advances in nutrition and broader public health issues, including updates from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the South African Department of Health. We regularly review our nutritional standards to ensure that our products meet or exceed globally recognised guidelines.
Under our Eat Well Live Well (EWLW) nutrition initiative, we have developed a set of nutrition standards aligned with both local and global dietary guidelines. These standards, formalised through the Nutrition Information Centre of the University of Stellenbosch (NICUS), are applied internally to assess the nutritional profiles of our products and drive continuous improvement. We have committed to reviewing the EWLW standards every three years through NICUS. The next review will take place following the promulgation of new front-of-pack (FOP) labelling and marketing regulations, expected soon, allowing us to integrate these new requirements into the EWLW standards and our product categorisation.
We fully comply with South Africa’s sodium reduction regulations and the health promotion levy (sugar tax) requirements and we continue to categorise our products using the EWLW nutrition standards. 60% of our food portfolio (excluding Home, Personal Care & Baby, and Snacks and Treats) meets our EWLW nutritional standards for healthier product categories.
Micronutrient deficiencies are a significant public health concern in South Africa. We fortify new and existing products in alignment with the regulations relating to the fortification of certain foodstuffs published by the National Department of Health. Staple foods such as certain wheat flours (including white and brown bread) and maize meal are fortified with key vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 (folic acid), iron and zinc. Amendments to the national fortification regulations, which propose adjustments to the prescribed forms and amounts of vitamins and minerals, are pending approval. We are actively engaging with government and other stakeholders in this process and will ensure that our affected products comply with the new regulations once approved.
In addition to mandatory fortification of staple foods, we voluntarily enrich products across our Grains, Cereals, Bakeries and Baby nutrition categories (such as Morvite, certain Jungle cereals, and Ace Instant) with micronutrients commonly lacking in South African diets. Our portfolio includes products aimed at specific health improvements, such as Energade BOOST, which is enriched to support mental performance and psychological function.
We have delivered micronutrient enrichment across approximately 41% of our Grains portfolio and we continue to explore avenues to expand our range of products that are enriched to promote certain health benefits.