Department of Health and Food Safety

The food control section within the department is responsible for ensuring the safety of food in South Africa. This service is based on the basic needs of communities and the right of South Africans to make informed food choices without being misled.

The main functions of food control within the Department of Health include:

• Administer food legislation. This includes developing and publicising regulations for food safety, food labelling and related matters as well as developing technical guidelines where necessary.
• Inform, educate and communicate to industry, consumers, the media, government departments and other stakeholders about food safety and related matters.
• Audit and support Port Health Services in the provinces related to the control of imported foodstuffs. Audit and support Municipal Health Services in metros and district municipalities related to law enforcement, monitoring, information, education and communication and other activities.
• Evaluate risk assessments related to agricultural chemicals and food produced through biotechnology for the departments of agriculture and forestry and fisheries.
• Co-ordinate routine and specific food monitoring programmes and attend to food safety alerts.
• Act as South Africa’s National Contact Point for the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN).
• Convene or serve on national and international bodies that deal with food control matters.

The National Department of Health requires that all foodstuffs shall be safe for human consumption.

• The Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectant Act ,1972 (FCD Act), address the manufacturing, labelling, sale and importation of foodstuffs.
• The hygiene requirements at ports and airports, including vessels and aircraft, are addressed by the International Health Regulations Act, 1974. In short, this support the CODEX requirements previously discussed.

This Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectant Act, 1972 (FCD Act), address the manufacture, labelling, sale and importation of foodstuffs.

The aim of the Act is to control the sale, manufacture and importation of foodstuffs, cosmetics and disinfectants; and to provide for incidental matters. The Act prohibits the sale of any foodstuff for human consumption that:

• Has been treated with a prohibited substance or treated with levels above regulated quantities;
• That are contaminated; and
• Are of mixed grades - other than indicated on the certificate.

The act provides for inspections to be done and for product to be analysed.