Non-Tariff Barriers

Non-Tariff Measure

NTM classification

B31: Labelling requirements 

Date when the measure came into force

01 January 1972 

Publication where the measure is specified

Rhodesia Government Notice No. 1211 of 1972 

Country/Region applying the measure

Zimbabwe 

The rationale of the measure

These regulations shall apply only to flour, bread and cereals which are sold or intended to be sold in Zimbabwe. 

Coded list of objectives

X: For purposes n.e.s. 

Description of the measure

4 (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (9), any package containing any article of food to which these regulations apply shall bear a label stating—
(a) the name and trade name of the article contained therein;
(b) the name and business address of the manufacturer, producer, importer or retailer on whose behalf such article was packaged;
(c) the net mass of such article at the time when it was packaged;
(d) a packing-number and/or the date on which the goods were packaged, or a code-number which signifies such date:
Provided that an inspector shall, on request, be informed by the manufacturer or producer of the date which such code-number signifies;
(e) in the case of an article which is composed of 2 or more different ingredients, the names of the ingredients set out in descending order in relation to their percentage of the total content, and when required by the Food and Food Standards (Food Additives and Prohibited Substances) Regulations, SI 136/2001, the name and nature of any preservative, colouring or other foreign substance.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (7), any particular which, in terms of these regulations, is required to be printed on a label shall be printed in type no smaller than six point and in such colour or colours as to afford a distinct contract with the background.
(3) Words which qualify the name or trade name of the article, or are an essential part of the description thereof, shall be printed on the label in letters of the same size and prominence as the name of the article.
(4) The ingredients or proportions of any article shall be set out on the label in type of a uniform size and prominence throughout.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2), words which are required to be in type of a particular size may, subject to the written approval of the Secretary, be printed in smaller type where the size of the package is so small as to render compliance with the provisions of subsection (2) impossible.
(6) No label on any article of food shall contain the words “vitaminised”, “vitamin-fortified” or “enriched”, or any words which may be construed as indicating that such fortifying ingredients have been added to or produced in such article of food, without the written approval of the Secretary.
(7) Where a retailer sells food from a bulk supply kept by him, such bulk supply shall be labelled in a type no smaller than eighteen point, and shall state—
(a) the name and, where appropriate, the trade name of the food;
(b) all other particulars which are required to be set out in terms of paragraphs (a), (b), (d) and (e) of subsection (1).
(8) Any label referred to in subsection (7) shall be displayed in a prominent position so as to be easily read by any purchaser of the food contained in the bulk supply.
(9) The provisions of this section shall not apply to—
(a) articles of food which are taken in the presence of the purchaser from bulk stock which is labelled in accordance with these regulations;
Provided that the label shall be clearly legible at the time of sale, and such food is weighed, counted or measured in the presence of the purchaser;
(b) bread, subject to the provisions of subsection (1)), the composition of which accords with section six.
(10) No person shall sell bread which contains any ingredient approved by the Secretary in terms of the proviso to subsection (6) of section five or item 14 of the Second Schedule unless such bread is labelled in a manner approved of by the Secretary, in writing.
(11) For the purposes of subsection (10)—
“labelled” means in the case of—
(a) pre-packed bread, printed or affixed to such wrapping;
(b) bread which is not pre-packed, described on a label or show-ticket which is prominently displayed on or in close proximity to the bread to which it relates, so as to be clearly visible to an intending purchaser. 

Reference of the measure

Art 4 

Measure also domestic

Yes 

Notes

The implementation date is not stated in the document received from the NTM Manager. The above date was arbitrarily entered to allow registration of identified and classified NTMs onto the online system. This will be edited once the actual date is made available. 

Products affected by the measure.

Description

Any package containing any article of food to which these regulations apply and these include
Flour(White flour, Brown flour, Rye flour, Wholemeal)
Bread (White bread, Brown bread, Wheat-germ bread, Wholemeal bread, Milk-bread,High-protein bread,Gluten-bread ,Rye-bread, Raisin-bread, currant bread, fruit-bread or sultana-bread)
Slimming-foods
Rice-flour, which is obtained by grinding dehusked rice
Polished rice
Maize-meal (Straight-run meal, Roller-meal, Pearl-meal)
Maize samp
Mealie-rice 

Countries/Regions affected by the measure.

Description

All countries