Lower your risk with CANSA’s Seal of Recognition
It can be a daunting task to know which products are safer and healthier for you and your family. CANSA’s Seal of Recognition does the work for you, and when you see the mark on a product, you can be sure it’s free from chemicals of concern and meets the strictest standards for your health.
Despite the complexities of cancer as a disease, the scientific evidence that a person can greatly lower their risk of developing cancer by lowering their exposure to avoidable risk factors is overwhelming.
By making better lifestyle choices, such as not using tobacco and alcohol, getting sufficient physical activity, eating healthy foods, avoiding excessive exposure to cancer causing chemicals, and limiting exposure to the ultraviolet radiation of the sun through use of sunscreen and protective clothing, 30-50% of cancer cases are preventable.
Lorinda Van Dyk, CANSA’s Seal of Recognition Coordinator, explains, “In the absence of public and consumer health protectors in South Africa, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA, CANSA has taken the initiative to assist in public health (particularly in terms of cancer risk reduction) by acting as an advocate for healthy, safe product choices with the sole purpose to aid in reducing the cancer burden in South Africa.”
CANSA’s Smart Choice Seal
For more than 10 years, CANSA has been awarding its Smart Choice Seal to products as part of an ongoing effort helping people identify products that help reduce personal cancer risk. The Seal also helps consumers identify products free of cancer causing (carcinogenic) chemicals.
Eligibility of the Seal is determined by CANSA standards and requirements in various categories i.e. Protection, Food, Non-Foodstuffs and Patient Care. CANSA standards and requirements are based on local and international peer reviewed research, aligned with local regulations, and supports self-regulation in industry. CANSA approved products are vetted to comply with national and international standards.
Smart Choice Seal categories
Protection
This covers products that provide protection against factors in the natural environment that may lead to cancer, such as UV radiation. The Seal is thus awarded to UV-protective products, like sunscreen and UV-clothing, that fulfil certain criteria for effective protection to reduce cancer risk.
Food
This category addresses two major risk factors, obesity and poor diet/nutrition. The Seal is awarded to edible products that fulfil certain nutritional, processing and ingredient criteria that contribute to lowering cancer risk and encourage a healthy balanced lifestyle.
Non-foodstuffs
This category covers many sub-categories of non-edible consumer products that fulfil certain criteria and are independently tested and approved as free of all known toxins, carcinogenic and hormone disruptive substances.
These include food storage-, food preparation-, personal care-, and cosmetics products as well as health programmes that enhances education and awareness on factors that contribute to cancer risk and results in improved, smart and balanced lifestyles, such as exercising equipment and courses; dietary guides; weight control courses and guides; smoking cessation courses and subject related books.
Patient care
These are products that contribute to enhancing the quality of life, dignity, health, care, and support of cancer survivors (patients). The products are also vetted to be safe and free of all known toxins, carcinogenic and hormone disruptive substances.