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Regulation

R146 (2010): South Africa nutrition label

R146 (2010), the South African nutrition label under R146 of 2010, 9 mandatory nutrients, per 100 g or 100 ml and per serving, both columns required, English on pack. Generate a compliant label free.

Reviewed against R146 of 2010 · Page updated October 25, 2026

Jurisdiction
South Africa (packaged food sold at retail)
Regulation
R146 of 2010
Effective
1 March 2012
Official source
www.health.gov.za
Generate a South Africa labelBack to all formats

Nutrition labelling requirements in South Africa

Packaged food sold in South Africa must carry a nutrition declaration under R146 of 2010. This page covers the South Africa - R146 (2010) format: Typical Nutritional Information kJ + glycaemic carbs. A compliant South African nutrition label declares 9 mandatory nutrients: energy, protein, total fat, of which saturated, of which trans, glycaemic carbohydrates, of which total sugar, dietary fibre and total sodium. Values are declared per 100 g or 100 ml and per serving, both columns required, with energy in both kJ and kcal, and sodium rather than salt. The panel is headed "Typical Nutritional Information". English is required on pack. There is no mandatory front-of-pack warning scheme. NFL builds a print-ready South African nutrition label from your recipe, applying the rounding rules and reference intakes for South Africa automatically, and exports it as PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG or EPS.

Official regulation

Citation
R146 of 2010
Effective
1 March 2012
Scope
South Africa (packaged food sold at retail)
Source

Key facts

Mandatory nutrients (9)
Energy, Protein, Total fat, of which saturated, of which trans, Glycaemic carbohydrates, of which total sugar, Dietary fibre and Total sodium
Declaration basis
Per 100 g or 100 ml and per serving, both columns required
Energy units
kJ and kcal, both required
Sodium or salt
Declared as sodium, not salt
Panel heading
Typical Nutritional Information
Label language
English required on pack
Front of pack
No mandatory front-of-pack warning scheme

South Africa food labelling regulations R146, core label requirements

The Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs (Government Notice R146 of 1 March 2010, amended by R1091 of 2010 and R45 of 2012) are in force. They govern the labelling and advertising of food made, imported, sold or offered for sale in South Africa, and the National Department of Health lists them as current Food Control regulations.

A prepackaged food label must identify the food and carry the information R146 makes mandatory. Depending on the product, this includes:

  • the name of the food on the main panel, with a description where the name alone is not clear enough;
  • the name and address of the manufacturer, importer or seller;
  • an ingredient list where applicable, with the required ingredient, additive and allergen declarations;
  • instructions for use where needed, and any special storage conditions;
  • net contents in SI units;
  • country-of-origin information in the form regulation 10 requires;
  • a batch number that lets the batch be traced; and
  • date marking, such as "best before", "use by" or "sell by" under regulation 12, unless the food is exempt.

Mandatory information must be clearly visible, legible and indelible. It must be in English and, where possible, at least one other official language of South Africa, and R146 sets minimum lettering sizes for specified information.

Source: Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs, R146 of 1 March 2010, as amended by R1091 of 19 November 2010 and R45 of 19 January 2012.

South Africa nutrition labelling and when it is mandatory

R146 does not make a nutrition table mandatory on every prepackaged food. Regulation 50 separates nutrition information the Regulations require from nutrition information a manufacturer provides voluntarily.

When a nutrition claim is made, nutrition information becomes mandatory. It must follow the prescribed format and include the minimum declaration plus the nutrient the claim is about, if that is not already in the minimum list. Claims must be backed by typical values from analysis that meets R146's sampling and laboratory requirements.

Where no claim is made, providing nutrition information is voluntary. But once a manufacturer chooses to provide it, the R146 rules on the minimum nutrients and format become mandatory. For voluntary information without a claim, R146 accepts specified sources, such as recognised food composition data, analysis or calculation from ingredient data, and the source must be stated below the table.

Analytical values used on the label must be rounded in line with Annexure 6, which is mandatory. Where a claim is made, regulation 50 also requires supporting analysis, records and periodic verification.

Source: R146 of 1 March 2010, regulation 50 and Annexures 2 and 6.

Typical Nutritional Information table under R146 South Africa

When nutrition information is given, the table must be headed "Typical Nutritional Information", which is mandatory. The label must state the size of a single serving in grams or millilitres and present the nutrients in a table unless an exception applies.

Annexure 2 makes it mandatory to give the minimum declaration both per 100 g (or 100 ml) and per single serving. The minimum declaration is:

  • energy, in kJ;
  • protein;
  • glycaemic carbohydrate (or carbohydrate);
  • total sugar, as part of carbohydrate;
  • total fat;
  • saturated fat, as part of total fat;
  • dietary fibre; and
  • total sodium.

Other nutrients R146 requires, including any nutrient a claim is about, are mandatory in their set position in the table. Statements regulation 50 requires, such as whether values apply to the product as packed or as prepared, go below the table.

A percentage of the Nutrient Reference Value per serving is voluntary. It may be added in an extra column for protein, vitamins and minerals that have an R146 NRV, but it is not part of the mandatory minimum declaration. The table format is the norm; regulation 50 allows a linear format on very small packages that lack room for a table.

Source: R146 of 1 March 2010, regulation 50 and Annexure 2, as amended by R45 of 19 January 2012.

Glycaemic carbohydrate on a South African food label

R146, in force with its 2012 amendment R45, defines "glycaemic carbohydrate" as carbohydrate available for metabolism. R45 allows the table line to read "glycaemic carbohydrate" or simply "carbohydrate". The aim is to declare the carbohydrate the body uses, rather than a total that includes every type of carbohydrate.

When a nutrition table is given, glycaemic carbohydrate (or carbohydrate) is a mandatory line in the minimum declaration, followed by total sugar as part of that figure.

For voluntary nutrition information where no claim is made, R45 allows the glycaemic carbohydrate value to be calculated by difference: the analysed values for moisture, protein, fat, ash and alcohol are subtracted from the total weight of the food analysed.

Whenever nutrition information appears, using R146's terms, units and structure is mandatory. A foreign nutrition panel that leaves out required South African information cannot be used instead.

Source: R146 of 1 March 2010, Annexure 2; Amendment R45 of 19 January 2012.

Is R146 South Africa being replaced?

R146, with its amendments R1091 and R45, is still in force, and the National Department of Health lists it as the current labelling regulation.

A replacement is proposed. On 21 April 2023 the Department published draft Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs (Government Notice R3337) for public comment. The draft would repeal R146, R1091 and R45 once the replacement takes legal effect, and it proposes mandatory front-of-pack warning labels for foods high in nutrients of concern.

R3337 is still a draft, so its requirements should not be treated as having replaced R146. Its commencement periods, which vary by provision, would only start running once final regulations are promulgated.

Source: Draft Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs, R3337 of 21 April 2023; National Department of Health, Food Control Regulations.

How NFL handles it

  • Applies the correct rounding rules for every nutrient
  • Uses the right Daily Value / Reference Intake table for this jurisdiction
  • Renders the required front-of-pack warnings automatically when thresholds are hit
  • Handles multilingual labels where required (bilingual EN/FR, EN/ES, Arabic + EN, etc.)
  • Exports print-ready vector PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG, and EPS

Common questions

What does R146 require on a food label?
R146 makes it mandatory for prepackaged foods to show the food name, the responsible business's name and address, ingredients where applicable, net contents, country of origin, a batch number, date marking and any needed storage or use instructions. Ingredient, additive and allergen declarations must also follow the Regulations' detailed rules.
How is the Typical Nutritional Information table laid out?
When nutrition information is given, the table is headed "Typical Nutritional Information", states a serving size, and has columns per 100 g or 100 ml and per single serving. The mandatory minimum lines are energy, protein, glycaemic carbohydrate, total sugar, total fat, saturated fat, dietary fibre and total sodium.
Is nutrition information mandatory in South Africa?
Only in certain cases. R146 does not require a nutrition table on every prepackaged food, but it becomes mandatory when a nutrition claim is made. Providing it otherwise is voluntary, but once a manufacturer does, the R146 format and rules apply.
What is glycaemic carbohydrate on a South African label?
R146, in force, defines glycaemic carbohydrate as carbohydrate available for metabolism, and R45 lets the line read "glycaemic carbohydrate" or "carbohydrate". For voluntary labelling without a claim, the value may be calculated by difference, subtracting analysed moisture, protein, fat, ash and alcohol from the total weight.
Does a South African nutrition label have to show values per serving?
Yes, when nutrition information is declared it is mandatory. R146 requires the size of a single serving and the minimum declaration per serving as well as per 100 g for solids or per 100 ml for liquids. The manufacturer sets the serving size and must be able to justify it under regulation 50.
Is percentage NRV mandatory on an R146 nutrition table?
No, it is voluntary. R146 allows protein, vitamins and minerals that have an NRV to be shown as a percentage of the NRV per serving in an extra column, but that column is not part of the mandatory table.
Is R146 being replaced?
A replacement is proposed. The Department of Health published draft regulations, R3337, in April 2023, which would repeal R146 and its amendments and introduce front-of-pack warning labels. Until final regulations are promulgated, R146, R1091 and R45 remain in force.

How to generate one

  • Open the generator: free account, no credit card
  • Pick "South Africa - R146 (2010)" from the format rail
  • Enter your ingredients (search USDA FoodData Central or add a custom ingredient)
  • The label renders live; export in one click

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