Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990)

Regulations

2026 Regulations

Regulations regarding the Grading, Packing and Marking of Edible Vegetable Oils intended for Sale in the Republic of South Africa

Part I: General Standards Applicable to Edible Vegetable Oils

12. Restricted particulars on containers

Purchase

(1)	No product designation other than the designation applicable to the specific edible vegetable oil contained in a container, shall be marked on such a container.

(2)	Comparative claims such as "lite", "light", "extra light", "reduced", or any other words having a similar meaning, shall not be marked on a container containing edible vegetable oils.

(3)	No adjective of any kind that is incapable of objective substantiation, such as but not limited to "real", "genuine", "premium", "finest", "super", etc., shall be used together with the product designations prescribed for edible vegetable oils.

(4)

No registered trade mark or brand name which may possibly, directly or by implication, be misleading or create a false impression of the contents of a container containing edible vegetable oils shall appear on such a container : Provided that registered trademarks or brand names which have been allowed for on edible vegetable oils prior to the date of publication of these regulations, shall not be subject to these restrictions: Provided further that the owner of such registered trade mark or brand name shall, on request, be able to provide the Executive Officer with the necessary written proof in this regard.

(5)

No word, mark, illustration, depiction or other method of expression that constitutes a misrepresentation or directly or by implication creates or may create a misleading impression regarding the quality, nature, grade, origin or composition of edible vegetable oils shall be marked on a container of such product.

(6)

No claim regarding the absence of any substance that does not normally occur in the edible vegetable oil concerned shall be marked on the container thereof, except in cases where it is allowed for in the regulations published under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972).

(7)

In the case of olive oils or olive-pomace oils blended with other edible vegetable oils, and where the olive oil present in the blend is less than 50 percent, the depiction of olives, olive leaves or olive trees, or any other wording used to emphasise the presence of the olive oils or olive-pomace oils in the blend shall not be allowed on the container: Provided that—

(a)

registered trademarks or brand names which include depiction of olives, olive leaves or olive trees, or any other wording used to emphasise the presence of the olive oils or olive-pomace oils in the blend, and which have been allowed for on edible vegetable oils prior to the date of publication of these regulations, shall not be subject to these restrictions: Provided further that the owner of such registered trade mark or brand name shall, on request, be able to provide the Executive Officer with the necessary written proof in this regard.

(8)

The indication "first cold pressing", "cold pressing", "cold extraction", "cold crushed", or any other wording having a similar meaning, may be used only for the grades known as extra virgin olive oil or virgin olive oil: Provided that the corresponding definition for "cold extraction" or "cold pressed", as the case may be, is complied with.

(9)	The harvesting year may only appear on a container containing olive oils or olive-pomace oils if 100 percent of the contents of the container come from that harvest.

(10)	The provisions of this regulation shall mutatis mutandis apply to—

(a)	an outer container in which one or more containers of edible vegetable oils are packed;

(b)	particulars that are marked on an "on tap" tank or other storage unit;

(c)	particulars that are marked on a notice board displayed at or in the immediate vicinity of edible vegetable oils that are kept or displayed for sale; and

(d)	all advertisements for edible vegetable oils.