LABELS…DO THEY SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE?

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) seeks to revisit the issue of labelling and the important role it plays in ensuring consumers’ health and safety. The consumer’s Right to Safety implies that consumers should be protected against production processes, products and services that are dangerous to health or life. This means that the Government, business and civil society must ensure:

• Safety and quality standards for goods and services.
• Facilities for testing and certification of safety, quality and performance of essential consumer goods and services.
• Policies are implemented for manufacturers to recall, replace, modify, substitute or compensate for defective or dangerous products.

Jamaica has a number of Agencies and Ministries that oversee the administration of the various food safety laws that exist to protect consumers. Regarding labelling, the Bureau of Standards, Jamaica, under the Standards Act, facilitates the development of compulsory and voluntary standards, which offers protection for consumers and industry players.

Consumers are also responsible for ensuring their own safety and health by being vigilant and examining items carefully to ensure that they bear the appropriate label. Additionally, such vigilance helps consumers to receive value for money.

Highlighted below are aspects of basic labelling requirements for pre-packaged goods (food and pharmaceuticals especially), as these have serious implications on consumers’ health, safety and general welfare. Note that this critical information must be in English:

1. Expiry Date – Indicates the date after which foods are no longer considered fresh, or safe for consumption or ingestion in the case of medication. Some foods and medication may become toxic after a certain date, or lose their effectiveness in the case of medication. This feature on labels therefore serves to protect consumers’ right to safety by ensuring that products of high quality and safety are made available to them.

2. Product Name – Often, consumers will opt to purchase food, pesticides and poisons in unmarked containers, from unauthorized individuals; usually because they are relatively cheaper. This is not a safe or prudent practice. Such items can easily be mistaken for food and mistakenly ingested and lead to serious harm and even death.

3. Ingredients – A list of the inputs in a product is very important, especially for those persons with allergies and those with specific nutritional needs. In addition, certain foods or drink may contain ingredients, which can interact with medication, to cause drug interaction, which is sometimes harmful to consumers. Drug interaction may impede the effectiveness of a drug, or cause a chemical reaction, which could lead to serious health problems and even death. Ingredients and indications and instructions are especially important for medication.

4. Batch Numbers – Batch numbers are important for tracing a particular product, especially for the purpose of quality checks and recalls.

5. Manufactures’ Name and Address and Country of Origin – These are especially important, especially for the purpose of redress, which is a consumer right.

6. Net Quantity /Weight – Is important in terms of determining value for money and is especially critical for those who require a specific quantity of product for a specific use, that is, persons on a set diet, or those preparing dishes or mixtures with specific measurements for ingredients. Imagine the implications if net quantity is misleading.

7. Recommendations /Instructions for Use – Where the quality or safety of the product may become diminished by misuse, it is important that a cautionary note or instructions for usage is given, to protect the integrity of the product as well as the health and safety of the consumer.

It is important to note that the CAC is working with the Bureau of Standards in protecting consumer rights regarding labelling so as to ensure that our consumers receive high quality goods and services, which are safe and healthy, and which are in keeping with their rights. Consumers however have a responsibility to check the item they intend to purchase to ensure that it bears the required labelling, thus aiding in their effort to safeguard their well being.

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Send e-mail to: cacjam@infochan.com or star@gleaner.com

Write to us at: 1B Holborn Road, Kingston 10 Or call us at: 926-1650-2 or toll free 1-888-991-4470, ask for our Information Desk