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Country of origin requirements (COOL)  (South Africa)

Country of origin has to be declared but not at ingredient level. There are 3 main possible declaration of the country of origin: (a) “Product of (name of country)” if all the main ingredients, processing and labour used to make the foodstuff are from one specific country; (b) "Produced in (name of country)", "Processed in (name of country)", "Manufactured in (name of country)", "Made in (name of country)" or similar words when a foodstuff is processed in a second country which changes its nature; or (c) the words "Packed in (name of country)" may be used in addition to the requirement of paragraph (a) or (b) above. There are some variations, for example, where for seasonal availability reasons some ingredients may be substitut-ed by others from another country in which case and/or notation is permitted where specifically provided for.

This is general information rather than legal advice and is current as of 30 May 2024. We recommend you contact a specialised food lawyer for legal advice for your particular circumstances to support commercial decisions which could impact your product or business.


Janusz F. Luterek

South Africa
HAHN & HAHN ATTORNEYS