Regulations relating to the Grading, Packaging and Marking of Canola intended for the Sale in the Republic of South Africa.

These Regulations, consisting of 21 sections, prescribe the requirements for the grading, packing, marking, sampling, inspection, and sale of canola (whole seeds of the plant species Brassica napus) intended for sale in South Africa, with the objective of ensuring compliance with prescribed quality and safety standards. The Regulations contain the following principal provisions (i) providing classifications of canola, quality defects, contaminants, containers, and sampling methods; (ii) prohibiting the sale of canola unless it complies with the prescribed requirements relating to classification, grading, packing, marking, and quality standards, while permitting exemptions in specified circumstances; (iii) establishing two classes of canola, namely Class C and Class Other Canola, and setting the criteria for classification; (iv) prescribing minimum quality standards, including requirements relating to moisture content, contaminants, insects, snails, poisonous seeds, odours, and substances rendering canola unsuitable for human or animal consumption; (v) establishing Grade C1 as the grade applicable to Class C canola and setting maximum permissible limits for deviations such as heat-damaged seed, distinctly green seed, sprouted seed, sclerotinia, foreign matter, stones, sand, and other grain; (vi) requiring canola of different classes and grades to be packed separately and mandating that containers or accompanying sale documents indicate the relevant class and grade; (vii) prescribing detailed procedures for obtaining representative samples of canola consignments; (viii) establishing methods for preparing working samples for inspection and analysis; (ix) prescribing inspection and testing methods for determining compliance with quality standards, including procedures for assessing odours, harmful substances, poisonous seeds, insects, snails, moisture content, heat-damaged seed, distinctly green seed, foreign matter, sclerotinia, sprouted seed, and ergot contamination; (x) creating offences for contraventions of the Regulations and providing for penalties in accordance with the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990.