|GOVERNMENT NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

No. R. 321, 6 March 1998

Government Gazette Vol. 393, No. 18716, 6 March 1998

LIQUOR PRODUCTS ACT, 1989 (ACT No. 60 OF 1989)

AUTHORISATION TO SELL MEAD

The Minister of Agriculture has under section 27 of the Liquor Products Act, 1989 (Act No. 60 of 1989), made the regulations set out in the Schedule hereto.

D. A. HANEKOM
Minister of Agriculture

SCHEDULE

Definitions

1. Any word or expression in this Schedule to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act shall have that meaning and, unless the context otherwise indicates—

"authorised person" means a person specified in column 1 of Table 1;

"authorised premises" means premises specified in column 2 of Table 1 opposite the name of a particular authorised person;

"mead" means an alcoholic beverage that complies with the requirements set out in regulation 4;

"reducing sugar" means sugar which exhibits ketonic and aldehydic functions determined chemically by its reducing action on an alkaline solution of copper salt;

"residual sugar content" means the quantity of reducing sugar, calculated as a mass per volume, that is present in mead; and

"Act" means the Liquor Products Act, 1989 (Act No. 60 of 1989).

Authorisation to selll mead

2. An authorised person may sell mead produced by him or her on an authorised premises for as long as the validity of his or her authority is maintained in terms of regulation 55 of the Regulations published by Government Notice No. R. 1433 of 29 June 1990, as amended.

Maximum volume that may be produced

3. The volume of mead that may be produced by an authorised person during a particular calendar year shall not exceed the volume specified in column 3 of Table 1 opposite the name of the particular authorised person.

General requirements for mead

4. Except where expressly provided otherwise in regulation 6 in respect of a particular class of mead, mead shall

  1. be produced by the alcoholic fermentation by means of a wine yeast of a mixture of honey and water;
  2. have an alcohol content of at least 4 per cent and not more than 16,5 per cent;
  3. have a sulphur dioxide content of not more than 200 milligrams per litre, of which not more than 50 milligrams per litre may be in the form of free sulphur dioxide;
  4. have a volatile acid content which, calculated as acetic acid, does not exceed, 1,2 grams per litre; and
  5. have a flavour, taste and character which clearly distinguishes it from that of any other liquor product or class of liquor product.

Designated classes for mead

5. The classes of mead shall be as specified in column 1 of Table 2.

Requirements for designated classes of mead

6. Mead of a class specified in column 1 of Table 2 shall be produced in such a manner that—

  1. it complies with the general requirements set out in regulation 4; and
  2. it complies with the specific requirements set out in column 2 of the said Table opposite the particular class of mead.

Addition of substances to mead

7. (1) The substances specified in column 1 of Table 3 may be added to the classes of mead specified in column 2 thereof.

(2) A substance that may be awed to mead in terms of subregulation (1) may subject to the provisions of subregulation (3), be added before, during or after production of the mead concerned.

(3) A substance referred to in subregulation (1 - l

  1. shall be added to mead in accordance with generally accepted cellar or manufacturing practices;
  2. shall be added in accordance with the manner and conditions specified in column 3 of Table 3; and
  3. may not occur in mead to such an extent that the substance concerned is injurious or detrimental to human health.

Removal of substances from mead

8. (1) The substances specified in column 1 of Table 4 may be removed from mead.

(2) A substance that may be removed from mead in terms of subregulation (1) may be removed before, during or after production of the mead concerned.

(3) The removal of a substance referred to in subregulation (1) shall

  1. be done in accordance with generally accepted cellar or manufacturing practices;
  2. be done in accordance with the manner and conditions specified in column 2 of Table 4.

Restricted substances In mead

9. The substances specified in column 1 of Table 5 shall not be contained in mead to a greater extent than that specified in column 2 of the said Table opposite the particular substance.

Compulsory particulars on labels

10. The following particulars shall be indicated on the label of a container of mead:

  1. The expression Alcoholic honey beverage. or ~alkoholiese heuningdrank..
  2. The applicable class designation as specified in column 1 of Table 2.
  3. (i) The alcohol content by means of a figure which, subject to the provisions of subparagraph (ii), represents the actual percentage of alcohol per volume in conjunction with a percentage symbol and one or more of the expressions "alcohol", "alkohol.," volume. or abbreviations thereof.

(ii) A figure referred to in subparagraph (i) shall not—

(act) differ by more than 0,5 in numeral value from the actual alcohol content of the mead concerned; and

(bb) be higher or lower than the applicable maximum or minimum alcohol content specified in this Schedule.

(d) The name of the country or countries of origin in conjunction with the word ~produced" or ~geproduseer~ or a synonym or inflection thereof along with an appropriate preposition, if not fully produced in South Africa.

(e) The name of the country of bottling in conjunction with the word Bottled or ~gebottel" or a synonym or inflection thereof along with an appropriate preposition, if not finally bottled in South Africa.

(f) The year of production by means of the words "produced in" or "geproduseer in" followed by the year concerned in figures.

(g) Whether herbs and spices or natural extracts thereof or fruit cells, fruit juice or fruit juice concentrate have been used at any stage of the production process.

(h) The full name and physical business address of the person by whom or on whose behalf the mead is bottled with a view to the sale thereof by him or her in sealed containers.

Manner in which particulars are to be Indicated

11. The particulars referred to in regulation 10 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (h) shall—

  1. be indicated in the same field of vision on one or more labels affixed permanently to a container;
  2. be clearly distinguishable from one another and from other particulars, illustrations or representations on the label; and
  3. be indicated in letters and figures—
  1. which are in each separate case of the same colour, type and size;
  2. which appear on a uniform and clearly contrasted background;
  3. which are clearly legible;
  4. which are printed indelibly; and (v) of which the minimum vertical height, depending on the capacity of the container concerned, is as specified in column 2, 3 or 4 of Table 6 opposite each specific detail.