Did you know that your child’s school tuck shop, your favourite Kota place and any premises that handle food needs to have a certificate of acceptability (COA)?

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A COA is a certificate issued by the municipality through the environmental health division after an environmental health practitioner (EHP) has carried out an inspection and is satisfied that the food premises complies with the provision of section 5 and 6 of the regulations governing general hygiene requirements for food premises, the transport of food and related matters (R638) published in 2018.

According to Zweli Dlamini, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni, the City’s EHPs conduct inspections, and where necessary, take food samples at all food premises, such as supermarkets, spaza shops and restaurants.

“Their role is to ensure that food sold to the community is safe for human consumption,” he added.

Soudah Hendricks, an EHP working for the City, stressed that all food outlets, schools and other entities that handle food should operate once they receive a COA.

“If a school has a tuck shop on the school premises, a kitchen facility used for serving food to learners regardless of whether or not they are operated by schools, those facilities must be assessed for compliance guided by regulation (R638) and be issued with a certificate of acceptability,” Hendricks said.

The EHP explained that regulation (R638) states: ‘A person may not handle food or permit food to be handled on food premises in respect of which a valid certificate of acceptability has not been issued or is not in force’.

Any person in charge of food premises, both formal and informal food trading who needs to obtain a certificate of acceptability, is encouraged to contact the City’s Environmental Health offices on 011 999 2970 or email Nomvula.Sirenqe@ekurhuleni.gov.za