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South Africa

General Information

• WHO Africa - Country Profile: http://afro.who.int/des/fos/country_profiles/south_africa.pdf
• The main food safety and quality problems encountered with the country’s imports include; Foods in state of decomposition; non-compliance with microbiological standards; non-compliance with other standards; exceeding levels for preservatives/additives; and poor labeling. Mechanism for monitoring food imports are available though there is observed lack of proper measures at land ports of entry. Food Laws in South Africa are: Foodstuffs, Cosmetics & Disinfectants Act, 1972; Health Act which are implemented at three levels, implementing authoritiesare at Central level (Department of Health & Agriiculture, South African Bureau of Standard (SABS)); Provincial level (Health, Agriculture) and Local Level (Local Authorities (Metro councils, local municipalities & district council)). Implementation of these laws faces a number of constraints, the major ones being lack of resources; fragmentation of different legislative & implementation authorities. Where possible food standards are brought in line with codex standards, but if enough scientific data is available, standards may differ.

See also International Portal on Food Safety, Animal & Plant Health

Key Legal Documents

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Links to Organisations involved in Food Law

Information (listed by date)

2005

• Document: FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa, Zimbabwe , 3-6 October 2005 by WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
• Source: International, Regional, Sub Regional and National Cooperation in Food Safety in Africa.
• Extract: The Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture and the South African Bureau of Standards are the key stakeholders in food control in South Africa. For day-to-day implementation, the food control system operates at the national, provincial and local levels. An evaluation of the system in 1995 revealed that it was impossible to determine which department represented the country in food control policy. The evaluation recommended the creation of a new modern, effective and internationally recognized food control system. There is general consensus on the way forward, but high level acceptance and approval for its implementation is still awaited.
• Link: http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0001653/P2002-FAO_WHO_food-safety_Oct2005.pdf

• Document: Improving Street Food Vending in South Africa: Achievements and Lessons Learned.
• Source: FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa, Harare , Zimbabwe , 3-6 October 2005.
• Abstract: This paper describe the street vended food situation in South Africa. It also mention the challenges towards improvement of safety of the street vended foods.
• Link: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/009/af077e.pdf

• Document: Report of the Sixteenth Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa.
• Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Codex Alimentarius Commission, Twenty-Eighth Session, Italy , 4 – 9 July 2005.
• Extract: The Departments of Health, Agriculture and Trade and Industry (SABS), are the three main agencies responsible for food control. The Department of Health serves as the National Codex Contact Point. The Department of Agriculture is the point of enquiry on SPS matters whereas the SABS serves as the TBT enquiry point. Over 14 pieces of legislation are administered by these agencies. South Africa has a National Codex Committee that is chaired by the Department of Health. Current initiatives are geared towards an over-arching food control Act and a food safety authority. This also includes separation of notes in terms of policy formulation and implementation (inspections, audits etc.). South Africa has been involved in various capacity building programmes on food safety that involved its neighbors and also other countries in SADC and the Region. Public consultations take place when developing national positions through electronic means as well as physical participation in preparatory and feedback meetings. Consumers, through the South African National Consumer Union (SANCU), participate in the National Codex Committee as well as in the Food Legislation Advisory Group (FLAG) of the Department of Health. However, consumer participation is limited due to lack of technical expertise and the needs strengthening.
• Link: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/632/al28_28e.pdf

• Document: Food control in South Africa.
• Source: FAO/WHO Workshop on the effective systems for food control - Rome , 24 January 2005.
• Extract: The main role players of the current food control system in South Africa are; The Agricultural Sector (Perishable Product Export Control Board PPECB), Health Sector, South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). The current food control system in South Africa operates at three levels; National, Provincial (Environmental Health Services), and local (Environmental Health Services). The responsibilities and authority for food control have been fragmented. This fragmentation has resulted in it being very difficult in determine precisely where the national food control authority resides. It is now not possible to determine which department can represent the nation on food control policy. It is a great opportunity to create a new, modern and effective internationally recognized food control system.
• Link: ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esn/food/meetings/2005/italy_pres4_en.pdf

2004

• Document: Legal Basis for Food Safety Official and Non-Official Control: “Strengthening official food safety control services” - by South Africa.
• Source: Second FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators, Bangkok , Thailand , 12-14 October 2004
• Extract: Various food inspection and certification systems have been implemented in a number of countries over a period of time as a response to the management of food borne risks to human health. For some time in South Africa it has been recognized that the control over foodstuffs is fragmented between a number of authorities and components at national, provincial and local level, as well as between several other organizations. Foodstuffs are not always regulated as foodstuffs but also as animals, animal products, plants or plant products. The objectives of such control relate to human health concerns such as food safety and nutrition, as well as to quality and to animal and plant health. The same commodity is therefore often controlled by several different authorities in relation to different sets of legislation albeit from different view points and for different reasons.
• Link: http://www.foodsafetyforum.org/global2/documents_en.asp

2003

• Document: Report of the Fifteenth Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa.
• Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Codex Alimentarius Commission, Twenty-Sixth Session 30 June – 5 July 2003.
• Extract: The Delegation of South Africa informed the Committee that it has a National Codex Committee comprising stakeholders from government through to consumers. The Committee meets twice yearly. Most of the work in preparation for South Africa’s inputs into the various Codex Committee happens in national sub-committees. The Department of Health is the Codex National Contact Point and has established a dedicated Codex office from where all Codex activities are co-ordinated. A website for food control activities, including codex activities has been established to improve communication. South Africa has made a concerted effort to harmonize its standards where applicable with that of Codex. South Africa encourages the participation of consumers in its legislative process as well as its Codex activities. Consumers, through the National Consumer Forum, are represented in the National Codex Committee (NCC) as well as the Food Legislation Advisory Group (FLAG) and other bodies.
• Link: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/407/Al03_28e.pdf

2002

• Document: Role and Responsibility of the Public Health Sector in South Africa Regarding Food Safety Control.
• Source: Directorate: Food Control - October 2000, (Revised September 2002).
• Abstract: This paper gives an outline of the responsibility of the Ministry of Health on the food control activity in South Africa. The food stuffs in this country is controlled at three levels; National Department of Health, Provincial Health Departments and the Local Authorities. The paper gives highlights of the broad functions of each level as determined by the White Paper and gives out their responsibilities and the food safety control legislations.
• Link: http://www.doh.gov.za/search/index.html

• Document: Role and Responsibility of the Public Health Sector in South Africa Regarding Food Safety Control.
• Source: Department of Health, South Africa. Directorate: Food Control, October 2000 (Revised September 2002).
• Extract: To ensure effective food control, it is crucial that South Africa’s Food Safety Control Program contains food control regulatory activities that are enforced by local authorities to provide consumer protection, by ensuring that foodstuffs are safe and suitable for consumption. Food legislation in South Africa is the responsibility of mainly the health and agricultural sectors.
• Link: http://www.doh.gov.za/search/index.html

2001

• Document: Report of the Fourteenth Session of the Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa.
• Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme,Codex Alimentarius Commission, Twenty-Fourth Session, Geneva, 2 - 7 July 2001.
• Extract: The Delegation of South Africa informed the Committee that its main activities in relation to harmonization and co-operation in food legislation and food control in the sub-region were through its participation in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The creation of an independent food control agency has been investigated as a means of addressing the fragmentation of South African food legislation. The Committee was also informed that the South African Meat Safety Act had been adopted in October 2000, in line with Codex standards and corresponding recommendations. The Codex Contact Point, which was located within the Department of Health, was responsible for distribution of Codex documents, coordination of attendance at Codex meetings, dissemination and collation of comments on Codex texts, making responses to enquiries and convening of meetings of the National Codex Committee. In South Africa the National Consumer Forum is provided with Codex documents and is invited to submit comments. However, the Forum has not been invited to participate in Codex meetings because the government was not in a position to fund the Forum.
• Link: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/005/X9372E/x9372e09.htm#TopOfPage

Information last updated - 14 July 2006