SHOPS selling expired food and those that trade illegally were fined during inspections by eThekwini Municipality’s environmental health practitioners in Amanzimtoti and Isipingo recently.
Also read: Expired and mislabelled foods confiscated near Isipingo
Jabu Xaba, the acting food safety manager in the south, said over 20 wholesale shops were checked for compliance.
“Our team will continue to hold workshops and training sessions for wholesale shop owners. We found that most shop owners are still unaware of proper labelling methods and the correct storage of food items. It is concerning to see food and non-food items being mixed on shelves. Non-food items should be stored separately from food,” said Xaba.
Another significant finding was the improper display of food items.
“There are still shops that display their food items outside, in the sun. We have to educate shop owners about the dangers of this practice. Food should always be kept inside the shop to maintain its safety and quality,” she said.
She added that an ongoing challenge faced by the municipality is the lack of a necessary compliance certificate in many shops. The Certificate of Acceptability (COA) is mandated by Regulation R638: 2018, which governs general hygiene requirements for food premises and the transport of food. To address this challenge, Xaba said they always have copies of the COA forms to distribute to shop owners during inspections.
“If a shop does not have this certificate, we do not close the shop immediately; instead, we give the owner 14 days to obtain the certificate before we take further action. It is our responsibility as Environmental Health Practitioners to ensure public health,” she said.
She emphasised that by giving shop owners a chance to rectify their mistakes, they help them understand and adhere to the regulations. This assists in ensuring that food sold to consumers is safe. The inspections in Isipingo are part of a broader plan to improve food safety standards across the city.
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