Labelling - Agrinnovators Forum

🌍 Emballages et étiquetage : leviers de qualité et de compétitivité pour les PME agroalimentaires ouest-africaines

@LONDIWEMTHEMBU — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 16:36:08 +0000

Dans l’espace UEMOA et CEDEAO, les petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) de transformation agroalimentaire jouent un rôle essentiel dans la valorisation des produits locaux : manioc, maïs, fruits tropicaux, huiles, épices ou produits laitiers. Pourtant, beaucoup peinent à s’imposer sur les marchés formels à cause d’un maillon souvent négligé : l’emballage et l’étiquetage.

Un emballage n’est pas qu’un simple contenant. Il protège le produit contre l’humidité, la chaleur, les chocs et la contamination, assurant ainsi la sécurité sanitaire et la préservation de la qualité. Dans le contexte climatique de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, un conditionnement approprié prolonge la durée de conservation et limite les pertes post-transformation, qui représentent parfois plus de 20 % de la production. En plus, il améliore l’image du produit et facilite son intégration dans les chaînes de distribution modernes.

L’étiquette, quant à elle, est la carte d’identité du produit. Elle renseigne sur la composition, les allergènes, la date de péremption, les conditions de conservation et les coordonnées du producteur. C’est un outil de traçabilité, de transparence et de confiance pour le consommateur. Dans un marché régional où la demande en produits sûrs et authentiques augmente, une étiquette claire et conforme aux normes CEDEAO ou Codex devient un atout majeur.

Cependant, les PME ouest-africaines font face à plusieurs défis : coût élevé des matériaux d’emballage souvent importés, accès limité aux imprimeurs spécialisés, ou manque de formation sur les exigences réglementaires. Pourtant, les opportunités se multiplient avec la montée des solutions locales — emballages recyclables, mutualisation des achats, appuis techniques des institutions régionales (UEMOA, CEDEAO, ONUDI, FAO). Ces initiatives favorisent une meilleure compétitivité et renforcent la durabilité du secteur.

L’harmonisation progressive des normes régionales d’emballage et d’étiquetage constitue aussi une avancée majeure. Elle facilite la circulation des produits au sein de la région et encourage la création d’un marché commun agroalimentaire africain, compétitif face aux importations.

En définitive, investir dans l’emballage et l’étiquetage n’est pas un luxe, mais une stratégie de compétitivité. Ces éléments influencent directement la qualité perçue, la conformité réglementaire et la fidélité des consommateurs. Pour les PME ouest-africaines, ils représentent le chaînon manquant entre production locale, sécurité alimentaire et accès aux marchés régionaux et internationaux. Miser sur des emballages adaptés et des étiquettes informatives, c’est construire l’avenir du “Made in West Africa” — une marque synonyme de qualité, d’identité et de durabilité.

St. Kitts and Nevis Strengthens Food Labelling Rules

Nina Desanlis-Perrin — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:51:43 +0000

St. Kitts and Nevis Strengthens Food Labelling Rules

The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS) is calling on all businesses—from formal enterprises to roadside vendors—to fully comply with national labelling regulations by December 31, 2025.

These rules apply to all goods sold within the Federation, whether locally produced, imported, or informally distributed, including:

Labelling of pre-packaged food
Labelling of bottled water
Labelling of goods in general

Key requirements for businesses:

Roadside vendors: All pre-packaged food, snacks, or beverages must carry clear labels showing ingredients, expiration dates, and vendor contact information.
Caterers: Pre-packaged meals for delivery or events must include labels with all required consumer information.
Local manufacturers/producers: Producers of baked goods, drinks, jams, jellies, and other locally made items must comply fully with national labelling standards.

The SKNBS emphasizes that no business is exempt. The aim of these regulations is to enhance transparency, promote consumer safety, and ensure product accountability across the country.

With the deadline approaching, businesses are urged to review their labelling practices to avoid penalties and support a safer, more trustworthy marketplace.

See an example of proper labelling in the image for reference.

More information: https://www.sknis.gov.kn/2025/05/07/sknbs-issues-compliance-deadline-for-product-labelling-regulations/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Labelling-Card-1-scaled.png

South Africa to enforce new labelling rules for plant-based meat alternatives

Nina Desanlis-Perrin — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:51:08 +0000

Minimum protein requirement and name restrictions now apply to plant-based food products in South Africa

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) is implementing new rules that will change how plant-based meat alternatives are labelled and formulated.

The updated regulations, published under Government Gazette Notice R. 6436, target food items marketed as substitutes for animal meat.

One of the main changes is that any product using terms such as “meat alternative,” “meat substitute,” or “meat replacer” must contain at least 9% protein to be sold under those names.

This requirement is meant to ensure that consumers purchasing these items are not misled by labels and that the products provide nutritional value similar to that of meat.

The rule applies specifically to the primary label displayed on the front of the packaging, where most purchasing decisions are made.

In addition to the protein mandate, the department has laid out guidelines on how these items should be named to avoid confusion over their content.

Words such as “burger,” “sausage,” “nugget,” and “hot dog” can still be used, but they must be preceded by terms like “vegan,” “plant-based,” or “fungi-based” to make clear that the products are not made from animals.

However, terms that imitate animal meat descriptors such as “chicken-style,” “beef-style,” or playful spellings like “B*con” are no longer allowed under the Agricultural Product Standards Act of 1990.

These restrictions follow earlier attempts by the DALRRD to ban terms like “burger” and “sausage” in 2022, which were later withdrawn after protests from manufacturers and retailers.

The department revised its approach in October 2024 after holding discussions with companies in the plant-based food sector.

The regulation is now in effect, and plant-based producers are expected to begin adjustments to their labelling and product formulation immediately.

More information: https://www.foodbusinessmea.com/south-africa-to-enforce-new-labelling-rules-for-plant-based-meat-alternatives/

In Kenya, 90% of packaged food needs health warning label under new rules

Nina Desanlis-Perrin — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:00:12 +0000

In June 2025, Kenya’s Ministry of Health released its nutrient profile model which requires processed food with high levels of sugar, fat and salt to carry a mandatory front-of-package warning label.

The initiative is considered a crucial step in combating the emerging obesity crisis hitting all of Africa.

New projections show 45% of women and 26% of men in Africa will be overweight or obese by 2030 according to the World Obesity Foundation.

WTO figures show that 37% of deaths in Africa were related to overweight in 2019 rising from 24% in 2000.

In step with Africa’s economic transformation, there has been a significant shift in food habits across the continent, according to the global health organisation.

With a larger urban population, higher incomes and a proliferation of supermarkets and fast-food chains, diets increasingly include hyper-processed foods to the detriment of public health.

Taking advantage of weaker regulation, large multinational companies have been accused of exacerbating the malnutrition crisis in Africa by selling less healthy products in low-income countries compared to those in wealthier nations, ATNI found.

The Kenyan nutrition label is just the latest initiative aimed at strengthening food standards and increasing consumer awareness about healthy nutrition after a new 4% sugar tax was introduced in February.

More information : https://www.africanews.com/2025/07/01/in-kenya-90-of-packaged-food-needs-health-warning-label-under-new-rules/

Sustainability of fishery and aquaculture products Informing consumers

Ahoefa Soklou — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:10:45 +0000

Briefing from the European Parliamentary Research Service – July 2025
Extract on “Labelling requirements”

Seafood labelling in the EU is based on general consumer protection rules, complemented by the EU common fisheries policy.

Mandatory and voluntary labelling rules vary depending on the nature, processing level, and presentation of fishery and aquaculture products (FAPs). For some products, labelling must go beyond other food rules, such as indicating the catch area and fishing gear.

Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 on the common organisation of the markets in FAPs (CMO Regulation) covers the provisions for mandatory and voluntary consumer information. According to Chapter IV (Articles 35-39), labelling for consumers must indicate the following: the commercial name of the species and its scientific name; the production method (i.e. caught or farmed); the area where the product was caught or farmed; for fish caught in the wild, the type of fishing gear used; whether the product has been defrosted (exemptions include products that have been defrosted before smoking, salting, cooking, pickling or drying, or if freezing is a technologically necessary step or necessary for safety reasons); and the minimum durability, where appropriate. The requirements apply to fresh, frozen, smoked, dried or salted fish.

Voluntary information may include the catch/harvest date, port of landing, gear or flag state, and environmental or social aspects. These requirements also apply to imports. Article 36 foresees a possible EU-wide eco-label scheme for FAPs.

The CMO mainly covers unprocessed seafood, while Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers (FIC Regulation) applies to processed/preserved products (e.g. canned goods).

For pre-packed foods, mandatory details include: name of the food, ingredients, allergens, net quantity, date of minimum durability or use-by, business address, and, in some cases, country of origin (Articles 9–10). Annex III requires freezing dates for frozen unprocessed fish.

For non-prepacked products, only allergen information is required, unless EU Member States impose additional rules (Article 44).

Other regulations cover the marketing of specific fishery products and preserved sardines/tuna. These include species rules e.g. only one sardine species is permitted, while several tuna species are allowed, but must be labelled simply as "tuna" or "bonito".

Under Council Regulation (EU) 2023/2720 on autonomous tariff quotas (ATQ), raw materials (e.g. fish fillets) for EU processors can be imported duty-free or at reduced tariffs when not available in the EU. These imports are not subject to origin, labour, sustainability, or consumer information rules but final products must comply with EU labelling requirements. This ATQ Regulation applies for 2024–2026.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/775877/EPRS_BRI(2025)775877_EN.pdf

Labelling

Axelle Rupert — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 09:36:17 +0000

A food label is the information found on the food product seen by the consumer. Food labels convey information about the product’s identity and contents, and on how to handle, prepare and consume it safely.

Food labelling can contribute to reducing food waste as food manufacturers use date marking to advise subsequent food chain operators on the appropriate shelf-life of a food.