Confusing expiry dates are costing lives and meals, says a local campaigner calling for urgent reform of South Africa’s food labelling laws.

Xolani Gumede (53), a former two-term president of the iLembe Chamber of Commerce, cited widespread confusion, food waste and public health risks that the current food labelling standard causes.

In his online “Fair Food Campaign” petition, Gumede urges Health Minister Dr. Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), to adopt a single, unified expiry date label that clearly communicates food safety to consumers.

“In South Africa, millions go hungry every day, while tonnes of perfectly edible food are thrown away because of confusing and inconsistent food date labels. Food date labelling has real-life consequences,” said the former commercial strawberry farmer.

He noted that the current system uses overlapping terms like “best before,” “use by,” and “sell by,” phrases that are inconsistently applied and widely misunderstood. This causes unnecessary food waste as edible food is discarded prematurely. There are also possible health risks with the status quo because people may unknowingly consume unsafe products.

Gumede, who is studying ‘The Ethics of AI’ through the London School of Economics, said lack of accountability from retailers and manufacturers exploit this confusion.

“Food date labelling may seem minor, but its impact is profound. Every day, tonnes of food are wasted while millions go hungry. The current fragmented system benefits corporations more than citizens, leaving people vulnerable.”

Gumede urges the government to amend the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act to mandate a unified expiry label, to engage the SABS to develop and enforce a national labelling standard and to direct the NCC to launch a public education campaign explaining the new label.

He proposes a unified, easy-to-understand, “safe to eat until date” that prioritises health and helps consumers make informed decisions with older food products.

“It will help reduce waste by clearly distinguishing between safety and quality. This reform is not just feasible, it’s ethically necessary. Let’s change the system one honest label at a time,” he added.

Health department spokesperson, Foster Mohale, could not be reached for comment.

Sign the petition, ‘Fair Food Systems Start With Honest, Unified Expiry Date Labels’ at awethu.mobi.

Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.

Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.