# What do South African labelling rules say about supplements?

Source: https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/what-are-r146-supplement-labelling-rules-south-africa/
Publisher: Healthnews24 (South Africa's supplement answer desk)
Updated: 2026-10-27

> South African sports supplements sold as foods follow R146 of 2010, which is still in force in October 2026. It requires a product name, ingredient list, allergens, net quantity, importer or manufacturer address, country of origin, batch and date marking, and bans medicinal claims. A nutrition table is compulsory when a nutrition claim is made. The newer R3337 is only a draft.

Key facts:
- R146 of 2010 (amended by R1091) is the South African food-labelling law in force as of October 2026.
- Regulation 13 bans medicinal or therapeutic claims, practitioner endorsements and words such as 'health' and 'healthy'.
- Draft R3337 (April 2023) is not law: 179 organisations submitted comments and it was referred to Nedlac in August 2026.
- University of Pretoria study: measured protein differed from the label in 68.6% of 70 sports supplements.

## Which regulation governs supplement labels?

**R146 of 2010** (Regulations relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs), published 1 March 2010 and amended by R1091 of November 2010. It is the labelling law in force as of October 2026 for protein powders, creatine, gels, electrolytes and other products sold as foodstuffs. Supplements positioned as complementary medicines also have to meet SAHPRA's rules, including the not-evaluated disclaimer ([Category D explained](/answers/what-is-sahpra-category-d-south-africa/)).

## What must be on the label?

- Product name and a truthful description.
- Full ingredient list, with allergens declared.
- Net quantity in metric units.
- Name and South African address of the manufacturer or importer.
- Country of origin.
- Batch number and date marking (best before or expiry).

A **nutrition information table**, per 100 g and per serving, becomes compulsory when a nutrition claim is made (for example "high in protein"). Claims must be backed by accredited laboratory analysis, re-verified periodically.

## What is banned?

Regulation 13 prohibits words such as "health" or "healthy", "wholesome" and "nutritious", claims of complete or balanced nutrition, medicinal or therapeutic claims, and endorsements by health practitioners. Terms such as "natural", "pure" and "fresh" are restricted. In practice, a sports label in South Africa should not say a product treats, cures, prevents or heals anything. Misleading claims also breach the Consumer Protection Act s41 and the ARB Code ([health claims explained](/answers/what-health-claims-are-allowed-on-supplements-south-africa/)).

## What about R429 and R3337?

- **R429** was a 2014 draft replacement that was never promulgated.
- **R3337**, published for comment on 21 April 2023, proposes front-of-pack warnings (for example for high sugar, salt, saturated fat and sweeteners), an expanded allergen list and tighter claim rules. As of October 2026 it is **still a draft**: the Department received submissions from 179 organisations, referred it to Nedlac (task team first met 26 August 2026), and there is no publication date.
- Two South African protein studies measured products against the R429 draft amino-acid criteria. Those criteria are not enforceable law.

## How do you read a supplement label?

1. **Ingredients first.** Shorter is better. Free amino acids such as glycine or taurine in a "whey" product can indicate amino spiking ([amino spiking explained](/answers/what-is-amino-spiking-whey-south-africa/)).
2. **Check protein per 100 g against the protein type.** Isolate is typically about 85–90 g protein per 100 g, concentrate about 70–80 g.
3. **Compare per serving and per 100 g**, and note the serving size, which brands set differently.
4. **Find the importer or manufacturer address**, batch and expiry.
5. **Be sceptical of certification logos**: check the scheme's register ([Informed Sport explained](/answers/what-is-informed-sport-certification-south-africa/)).
6. **Check sweeteners**: sucralose dominates local whey; a few, such as [ATP Fitness](/brands/atp-fitness/) and Lifestyle Food's unflavoured concentrate, use none. The trade-off with ATP is that its shop listings do not publish protein per serving.

## Does the label guarantee accuracy?

No. A University of Pretoria study of 70 sports supplements found measured protein differed significantly from the label in 68.6%, and 7% were outside the 25% tolerance, with 42% to 80% less protein than claimed. Compliance on paper is not a laboratory result. For the full legal picture see [are supplements regulated in South Africa](/answers/are-supplements-regulated-in-south-africa/) and [how to read a supplement label](/answers/how-to-read-a-supplement-label-south-africa/).

Disclosure: ATP Fitness is a commercial partner of Healthnews24 and its products are featured on this site. Rankings follow our published method, and every pick, including ATP Fitness, shows its price maths and trade-offs.

## Sources

- [ASC Food Safety Training: Food labelling regulations in South Africa, what R146 actually requires](https://ascfoodsafetytraining.com/food-labelling-regulations-south-africa-r146-complete-guide/)
- [SAFOODS (SAMRC): Labelling regulations overview](https://safoods.mrc.ac.za/labelling.html)
- [Daily Maverick (7 Oct 2026): Three years, 6,000 pages, no labels, who's stalling SA's food warnings?](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-07-food-warning/)
- [GoLegal: South Africa's draft food labelling regulations (R.3337), status and practical steps](https://www.golegal.co.za/draft-labelling-regulations/)
- [Schönfeldt HC, Hall N & Pretorius B (2019) High protein sports supplements: protein quality and label compliance. J Food Compos Anal 83:103293](https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/74902)