Raw boerewors vs raw braaiwors (South African regulations)

This comparison is based on the Regulations Regarding the Classification, Packing and Marking of Certain Raw Processed Meat Products Intended for Sale in the Republic of South Africa, published under the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990), Government Gazette No. 46789 of 26 August 2022 (Regulation Notice R.2410). In these regulations, “raw boerewors” and “raw braaiwors” are not just marketing terms; each name is tied to a specific legal class with its own compositional standards. In practical terms, a product may only be sold under the name “boerewors” or “braaiwors/sizzler” if it meets the applicable requirements for that class. [Reg 3(1)(a)–(b); Definition: “raw boerewors”; Definition: “raw braaiwors”/“raw sizzler”]

Key legal point: the name must match the class standard

The regulations define “raw boerewors” as any sausage sold under a name containing the word “boerewors” (alone or combined with other words) and that complies with the compositional standards in regulation 5(7). Likewise, “raw braaiwors” (or “raw sizzler”) is any sausage sold under a name containing “braaiwors” or “sizzler” (alone or combined with other words) and that complies with regulation 5(12). This means the product name is legally “earned” by meeting the relevant specification. [Definition: “raw boerewors”; Definition: “raw braaiwors”/“raw sizzler”; Reg 5(7); Reg 5(12)]

Regulatory comparison table (composition and permitted ingredients)

1. Species/Meat Source

Raw boerewors: Must be manufactured from meat of domesticated animals of the bovine, ovine, porcine or caprine species, or a mixture of two or more of these. This excludes birds and wild game. [Reg 5(7)(a)]

Raw braaiwors / sizzler: May be manufactured from meat of a single domesticated animal, bird or wild game species, or a mixture of two or more such species. This class includes poultry and game. [Reg 5(12)(a)]

2. Minimum Total Meat Content

Raw boerewors: Must have a minimum total meat content of 90%. [Reg 5(7)(c)]

Raw braaiwors / sizzler: Must have a minimum total meat content of 40%. [Reg 5(12)(d)]

3. Mechanically Recovered Meat (MRM)

Raw boerewors: Must contain no mechanically recovered meat. [Reg 5(7)(f)]

Raw braaiwors / sizzler: May contain mechanically recovered meat. [Reg 5(12)(h)]

4. Offal Rules

Raw boerewors: Must contain no edible or inedible offal (except casing). [Reg 5(7)(e)]

Raw braaiwors / sizzler: Must contain no inedible offal, but may contain edible offal. [Reg 5(12)(f); Reg 5(12)(i)]

5. Colourants

Raw boerewors: Must contain no colourants. [Reg 5(7)(g)]

Raw braaiwors / sizzler: May contain colourants. [Reg 5(12)(j)]

6. Permitted Ingredients (Core)

Raw boerewors: Limited to cereal/starch, vinegar, spices, herbs, salt, additives, and water. No vegetable protein allowed. [Reg 5(7)(h)(i)–(iv)]

Raw braaiwors / sizzler: Same as boerewors but expressly allows vegetable protein and “other foodstuffs”. [Reg 5(12)(g) & (k)]

Note: Both products must be in an edible casing and have a fat content of no more than 30%.

What the regulations imply in practice

From a regulatory-composition perspective, raw boerewors is defined as a more strictly specified, higher-meat-content sausage made only from certain domesticated livestock species, with tight limits on what may be added and explicit prohibitions on mechanically recovered meat and colourants, plus a stricter approach to offal (none, except casing). [Reg 5(7)(a)–(h)] In contrast, raw braaiwors/raw sizzler is a broader class designed to accommodate a wider range of species (including birds and game), a lower minimum total meat content, a minimum total meat equivalent requirement, and more formulation flexibility, including the possibility of mechanically recovered meat, edible offal, colourants, vegetable protein, and other foodstuffs. [Reg 5(12)(a)–(k)]

Naming and labelling relevance (when calling something “boerewors” or “braaiwors”)

Because these are regulated classes, the product name used for sale matters. The regulations require that the container/label include the appropriate product name prominently, and the product name must reflect the species composition rules: when a single species is used, the species name must form part of the product name; when two or more species are used, the names of the species must appear in descending order of mass (with limited special handling for “game/venison” in specific circumstances). [Reg 7(1)(a); Reg 8(1)(a)–(b)] The word “raw” may be omitted from the appropriate product name, meaning “boerewors” and “raw boerewors” are treated as the same class name for labelling purposes. [Reg 8(2)]

Reference

South Africa, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. Government Gazette No. 46789, 26 August 2022, Regulation Notice R.2410:
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202208/46789reg11478gon2410.pdf