All retailers of food products in Mozambique have been ordered by the government to label in Portuguese food products sold in the country before the end of July this year.
This was announced by the National Inspection of Economic Activities (INAE) this week.
Portuguese is the official language used in Mozambique.
“This year is the last in which the government will grant a tolerance until July, for traders to label food products in Portuguese,” the National Inspector of Economic Activities, Rita Freitas, said.
She was speaking during a training seminar on the legal system of labelling on the packaging of food products.
She added all food products placed on shop shelves in Mozambique must be identified in the country’s official language, and will no longer be labelled only in foreign languages, including English.
The measure aims to protect the rights of consumers, in knowing what product they are purchasing and ingredients used for processing.
Freitas said that goods for sale that were not identified in Portuguese would be removed from the market after July.
Mozambique imports most of its food products consumed neighbouring South Africa, an English-speaking nation.
