The GI is one of many dietary tools and to use it out of context could be misleading to the consumer. It should be seen as one of several criteria that would enable a product to be perceived as healthy.
What criteria should there be? As the GI Foundation of SA together with Diabetes SA, we have a set of scientifically based criteria for all categories of food products. These can be studied on www.gifoundation.com. Your brand could benefit greatly by co-branding with the GI Foundation of SA as endorser of your products.
Independent endorsement, by way of an endorsement logo, is the best way to draw attention to your healthy food product in today’s consumer market. It gives your product credibility at a glance. As a loyal service provider to your company we want to assure you of GIFSA’s commitment to continue the GI Foundation–Diabetes SA endorsement program. We have submitted our application to the Department of Health to approve the GIFSA and Diabetes SA logos in terms of new regulation 146, in May of 2010. Unfortunately after 8 months we are still waiting, along with other endorsement agencies, for a letter of approval. We have re-engaged DOH and hope that this will spur them into action as there are great benefits for both the consumer and industry alike, if we can progress from this limbo situation.
Although we cannot predict any decision from DOH in this regard, we have every reason to believe that our application will be viewed favourably because of the following reasons:
The omission of the endorsements for the SA food scene would leave a huge void for those consumers who have learnt to trust the GI Foundation and Diabetes SA logos. The GIFSA - Diabetes SA endorsement program was started 10 years ago and has made good progress in terms of the number of products (more than 200) and impact we have on the South African consumer and their health.
The food industry has increasingly become aware of the blood glucose responses of some of their products. This has been a direct result of the GIFSA-Diabetes SA endorsement program. Many companies have with great success developed food products specifically to serve this growing health conscious market. A continuance of the endorsement program would ensure continued development in this area whilst a discontinuance could harm this trend to develop and market healthier foodstuffs.
None of the other SA endorsement logos address the aspect of blood glucose control, the glycaemic index (GI) and load (GL) of foods and its relevance to general health and the prevention of lifestyle diseases. Blood glucose control is of course especially important to the diabetic fraternity, but also relevant to all members of the public whose health may be drifting towards any one of the lifestyle diseases.
Clause 50.13.a.ii provides for the inclusion of "voluntary nutritional information". Like sodium and fat content, a GI or GL value is a scientifically determined nutritional value and can thus be included in the nutritional box.
Our application to act as an “Endorsement Entity” in terms of clause 13(a) (ii) of the Regulation has been submitted to the DOH. GIFSA has always been in good standing with the Department and trust that the interest of both the public and the industry should prevail with an approval of our application. We will keep you up to date in this regard.
