News & Insights

Codex 192 and South Africa's FCD Act both require labels to clearly disclose a product's true composition — not rely on its name or shape. Since 2018, enforcement has fragmented across Health, Agriculture, the SABS and the NRCS, and local rules have increasingly let form and naming (sausage, patty, meatball) substitute for real compositional disclosure. The result: product names that often disguise, rather than reveal, what's actually inside. — Dr. Francois Mellett

Meet the spoilage culprit hiding in plain sight: Bacillus spp.

Synercore ingredient specialists navigate ice cream's complex colloid engineering, balancing physical chemistry whilst mastering sophisticated formulation challenges for optimal consumer experiences. A special thank you to Alex Zabbia, Synercore Dairy Executive, for his contribution.

Dr. Francois Mellet, a monogastric nutritionist, meat scientist, and Synercore consultant, explores the complex regulatory landscape governing meat product formulation in South Africa, as published in FST Magazine.

The days of CSDs being associated with "sugar" and "unhealthy" are behind us. Driven primarily by Gen-Z and Millennials, there's a clear market shift towards "better-for-you" formulations - with active health claims, ingredient transparency, and adventurous flavour profiles.

Dr. Stefan Hayward, Principal Scientist at IRS, highlights the critical role of the food matrix - the structural arrangement of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other compounds - in both product stability and analytical accuracy.

Dr. Hanneli van der Merwe explores how South Africa's wine industry is evolving - from tradition to transformation - embracing reduced alcohol trends and functional beverage innovation.

Coffee culture has evolved well beyond its traditional role as a morning pick-me-up. Author Anneri Carinus of Synercore Marketing traces the journey from the first coffee wave in the early 1800s to today's thriving RTD category.