Introduction
Walking through a South African supermarket can feel like navigating a wall of health claims.
“High fibre.” “No added sugar.” “Source of protein.” “Contains live cultures.” “Gut friendly.”
These statements can be useful, but they do not tell you everything about a food.
South Africa has regulations governing food labelling and advertising. The Department of Health lists R146, the Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs, together with later amendments, as the country’s food-labelling framework. The regulations set conditions for certain nutrient-content claims, including fibre claims.
The challenge is that a regulated claim is not the same thing as a complete picture of nutritional quality or gut health.
Learning to look beyond the front of the packet can help you make better-informed choices without needing to memorise every ingredient or become a nutrition expert.
Fibre Claims: What Do the Numbers Actually Mean?
Fibre is one of the most useful things to check when thinking about gut health.
South African regulations set specific thresholds for fibre-content claims. Depending on the analytical method used, a food can qualify as a “source of fibre” at 2.4 g or 3 g of fibre per 100 g, while a “high in fibre” claim requires 4.8 g or 6 g per 100 g.
That means the words on the front of the package are not simply marketing language. They have regulatory conditions behind them.
But there is another important question:
Where is that fibre coming from?
A breakfast cereal might contain added fibre such as inulin, resistant starch or another isolated fibre. That does not automatically make the product equivalent to a minimally processed food such as beans, lentils, vegetables, fruit, oats or whole grains.
Different types of fibre can behave differently in the digestive tract. Some fibres are fermented by gut microorganisms, while others contribute more to stool bulk and bowel regularity.
So when comparing products:
- Check the actual fibre amount, preferably per 100 g.
- Look at the ingredient list to see what provides the fibre.
- Consider whether the food also contains substantial amounts of added sugars, salt or saturated fat.
- Remember that your overall dietary pattern matters more than one “high-fibre” product.
If you want to understand the difference between prebiotics and probiotics, GHASA’s Probiotics and Prebiotics Explained guide is a useful starting point.
“No Added Sugar” Does Not Mean “Low in Sugar”
The phrase “no added sugar” can be helpful, but it is easy to misunderstand.
Under South Africa’s current R146 regulations, a food cannot make a “no sugar added” or “no added sugar” claim if it contains added sugars as defined by the regulations.
However, the claim does not mean that the food contains no sugar.
For example, a product may naturally contain sugars from fruit or milk. The nutrition information therefore still matters.
This is why it is useful to check both:
- The ingredients list
- The nutrition information
You may also see ingredients such as:
- glucose syrup
- fructose
- honey
- fruit juice concentrate
- molasses
- various syrups
These can contribute sugars to a product.
One common misconception is that every unfamiliar carbohydrate ingredient is simply another name for sugar. That is not technically correct. Maltodextrin, for example, is a starch-derived carbohydrate rather than a simple sugar, although it can be rapidly digested and can have a high glycaemic effect.
The practical lesson is simpler than memorising every chemical name:
Don’t judge a product’s sugar content from the front of the packet. Check the nutrition panel and ingredient list together.
Ingredient Lists: What Comes First Matters
The ingredient list can tell you a lot about a product.
Ingredients are generally listed in descending order by weight, with specific requirements applying to compound ingredients.
This makes the beginning of the list particularly useful.
For example, if you are buying a breakfast cereal marketed as a “high-fibre” option, you might ask:
- What is the first ingredient?
- Is a whole grain near the beginning?
- Are several sweetening ingredients present?
- How much fibre does the nutrition panel actually show?
- Is the product mostly a whole-food ingredient, or is it a highly formulated product with added nutrients?
This does not mean that every ingredient near the end of the list is insignificant. Some ingredients are used in very small quantities but may still matter for people with allergies, intolerances or specific dietary requirements.
Think of the ingredient list as a way to understand what the product is made from, while the nutrition panel tells you more about what the product provides.
“Contains Live Cultures” vs “Probiotic”
This is one of the most important distinctions for gut-health shoppers.
Fermentation and probiotics are related, but they are not the same thing.
A yoghurt, fermented milk product or other fermented food may contain living microorganisms as a result of the fermentation process. But the presence of live microorganisms does not automatically mean that the food is a probiotic with a proven clinical benefit.
An international expert consensus defines a probiotic as a live microorganism that, when administered in an adequate amount, provides a health benefit to the host. Importantly, probiotic effects can be species- and strain-specific.
This is why a useful question is:
Does the product identify the microorganism or strain and provide information about the amount?
A label that simply says “contains live cultures” tells you something about the product, but it does not establish that a particular strain has been shown to provide a particular health benefit.
This distinction matters because probiotic research is not simply about finding “good bacteria”. Different strains can have different effects, and evidence for one strain or condition should not automatically be applied to another.
For a broader introduction to gut health, the GHASA Gut Health Resources can help you explore the topic further.
Don’t Ignore Sodium and the Rest of the Nutrition Panel
Gut health should not be viewed in isolation from overall nutrition.
When comparing similar products, look beyond fibre and sugar. Depending on the food, you may also want to compare:
- Sodium
- Saturated fat
- Total fat
- Protein
- Energy
- Carbohydrate
- Fibre
South African food regulations include specific rules around nutrition labelling and claims, and the Department of Health uses food regulation partly to help consumers make informed choices about nutrients associated with chronic disease risk.
There is no need to find a product with the lowest possible number for every nutrient. A food can be nutritious without having an ideal-looking nutrition panel.
Instead, compare similar products and consider how the food fits into your overall diet.
A Practical Gut-Health Label Checklist
Next time you are shopping, try this five-step approach:
1. Start with the ingredient list
Look at the first several ingredients. They give you a quick idea of what makes up most of the product.
2. Check fibre per 100 g
Don’t rely only on “high fibre” printed on the front. Look at the actual number.
3. Check sugar and sodium
Compare the nutrition panel between similar products. A product marketed for one positive nutrient may still contain substantial amounts of another.
4. Investigate probiotic claims
“Live cultures” and “probiotic” are not interchangeable terms. Where a probiotic is claimed, look for information about the microorganism or strain and the amount provided.
5. Consider the whole food
Ask yourself:
Would I choose this food because it is genuinely nutritious, or mainly because the packaging makes a health claim?
A product does not need a “gut health” badge to contribute to a healthy diet.
What About Highly Processed Foods?
A product can meet the requirements for a particular nutrient-content claim and still be highly processed.
That is not automatically a reason to avoid it.
Processing is not a simple healthy-versus-unhealthy category. Some processed foods are useful, nutritious and convenient. Fortified foods, frozen vegetables, canned beans and plain yoghurt are good examples of foods that may undergo processing while still fitting easily into a nutritious diet.
The more useful question is what the product contributes to your overall eating pattern.
If a cereal provides useful fibre and fits into your diet, its presence on the supermarket shelf is not a problem simply because it comes in a box.
Likewise, a biscuit does not become a health food simply because fibre has been added to it.
Look at the whole product rather than allowing one nutrient claim to make the decision for you.
Shopping With More Confidence
Reading food labels does not have to become a complicated exercise.
You do not need to understand every ingredient or spend 10 minutes analysing every packet. Start with a few basics:
Check the ingredients. Check the fibre. Check the sugar and sodium. Question health claims. Then consider the food as a whole.
For South African shoppers, understanding what food labels actually mean can make supermarket decisions easier and less influenced by bold claims on the front of the packet.
Most importantly, remember that gut health is shaped by your overall dietary pattern and lifestyle, not by one cereal, yoghurt, snack or “gut-friendly” product.
The goal is not to find the perfect food.
It is to become a more informed shopper.
Health Disclaimer
This article is for general educational purposes and does not replace personalised advice from a doctor, dietitian or other registered healthcare professional. If you have persistent digestive symptoms, a diagnosed gastrointestinal condition, food allergies or specific dietary requirements, seek individual professional advice.