{"id":858358,"date":"2026-04-24T10:51:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T08:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=858358"},"modified":"2026-04-24T10:51:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T08:51:06","slug":"changes-for-mayonnaise-and-salad-dressings-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/858358\/changes-for-mayonnaise-and-salad-dressings-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Changes for mayonnaise and salad dressings in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Department of Agriculture has gazetted changes to regulations governing mayonnaise and other dressings in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main changes relate to “reduced oil” variants of mayonnaise, alongside stricter packaging requirements around health claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gazette follows the publishing of draft regulation amendments in 2023, where the department sought to change the classifications of different kinds of dressings based on their oil content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a revision of the previous quality regulations published in 2000<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also follows changes to the make-up of certain products over the years that fell outside of typical classification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, reduced-oil mayonnaise previously followed a global standard formulation of having between 25% and 39% oil or fat content, but suppliers wanted to sell products in South Africa with 23% oil content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of granting exemptions to just one supplier\u2014potentially giving it an unfair advantage in the market\u2014the department moved to adjust the regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the interim, South Africa also started changing other packaging requirements, including classification and display information, and tightened regulations around claims<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A draft change for the regulations, bringing all of this in line, was published in 2023 and submitted to the World Trade Organisation that year<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to that submission, the regulations amend the classification of mayonnaise, salad cream, salad dressing, and salad oil dressing based on the vegetable oil content of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is intended to “create a level playing field for the industry and allow the consumer to make informed choices when buying these products,” the department said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The changes have now been gazetted under the Agricultural Product Standards Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How mayonnaise is now classified in South Africa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Under the new regulations, the classes of Mayonnaise Salad Cream, Salad Dressing and Salad Oil Dressing are defined by their edible vegetable oil content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In addition, most of the dressings also include an acidifying agent; egg, milk, pea, soya and\/or other suitable vegetable-based protein; and a list of other permitted additives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The classifications are outlined below, highlighting the oil content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dressing<\/th>Oil Content
    (2000 published)<\/th>    		Oil Content
    (2026 revision)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Mayonnaises<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
    Mayonnaise<\/td>52%+ <\/td>52%+ <\/td><\/tr>
    Reduced-oil Mayonnaise<\/td>25%-39%<\/td>22%-39%<\/strong><\/mark><\/td><\/tr>
    Salad Creams<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
    Salad Cream<\/td>25%+<\/td>25%+<\/td><\/tr>
    Reduced-oil Salad Cream<\/td>13%-18%<\/td>13%-18%<\/td><\/tr>
    Salad Dressings<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
    Salad Dressing\/Vinaigrette<\/td>12%-50%<\/td>12%-50%<\/td><\/tr>
    Reduced-oil Salad Dressing\/Vinaigrette<\/td>0.5%-12%<\/td>0.5%-12%<\/td><\/tr>
    Oil-free Salad Dressing\/Vinaigrette<\/td><0.5%<\/td><0.5%<\/td><\/tr>
    Salad Oil Dressings<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
    Salad Oil Dressing<\/td>N\/A<\/td>60%-95%<\/strong><\/mark><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      In addition to the specific classification changes, the regulations also set out how these products should be labelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Specifically, the regulations say the word \u201dVinaigrette\u201d may be used as a synonym for \u201cSalad Dressing\u201d, as long as the acidifying agent is vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The word \u201dDressing\u201d may be used as a synonym for \u201cSalad Dressing\u201d, and the word \u201cAioli\u201d may be used as a synonym for the class designation \u201cMayonnaise\u201d, as long as it’s describing a mayonnaise with garlic included as part of the flavour profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      However, the words comprising the class designation may not be abbreviated, such as \u201cMayo\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The regulations also specify that products can’t misrepresent or give a misleading impression about the dressings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For example, products not intended to be used with and on salads, and those not intended to be used in the place of Mayonnaise, Salad Cream, Salad Dressing and Salad Oil Dressing can’t be labelled with words such as \u201csalad\u201d, \u201cmayonnaise\u201d, \u201cdressing\u201d or by words implying these words such as \u201cmayo\u201d and \u201c-naise\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      These must be presented as totally different products, such as \u201csauce\u201d, \u201cdip\u201d, \u201ccondiment\u201d, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Products also can’t use words such as “reduced”, “less than”, “fewer”, “light” and “lite”, or words with a similar meaning, unless it’s on products in the “reduced oil” classification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Previously, the regulations stated that the “reduced” wording could be used as long as it appeared “in close proximity to the comparative claim”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      However, under the new regulations, this is stricter, with the brands having to mark the actual difference in total far or energy reduced, with the comparison being at least 25% in an equivalent mass or volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The full regulation changes can be seen below. They take effect 12 months from the gazette date (ie, 24 April 2027).<\/p>\n\n\n\n