Millions of people around the world fall ill and many die due to the consumption of unsafe food. However, food safety is often overlooked and not given the attention it deserves. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical contaminants or substances, poses a significant risk to public health, leading to over 200 diseases, including conditions as mild as diarrhoea and as severe as cancer. In 2000 the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised food safety as an essential public health function.

The primary responsibility for food safety and accurate labelling rests with the producer, manufacturer, seller or importer. However, everyone has a role to play in food safety as there are actions that can compromise the safety of food after it has been produced, sold, or imported.

The Directorate: Food Control within the department is responsible for developing the legislation to ensure the safety foodstuffs in South Africa. This service addresses the basic needs of communities and ensures the right of South Africans to safe and nutritious foods, allowing them to make informed food choices without being misled. This is mainly achieved through the development of Regulations under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972). The regulations apply to both formal and informal food handling sectors.

The main functions of food control include to –

• Administer food legislation by developing and publishing regulations for food safety, food labelling, regulatory nutrition 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.
  
  
• Support the Specialised Port Health Services of the Border Management Authority in relation to the control of imported foodstuffs and section 14 (3) of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972).
  
  
• Provide technical support, on request, to municipal health services in metros and district municipalities related to legislation, law enforcement, monitoring, information, education and communication and other related activities.
  
  
• Co-ordinate ad hoc food surveys and activate the national food safety alert system.
  
  
• Evaluate the risk assessments related to agricultural chemicals and food produced through biotechnology for the departments of agriculture.
  
  
• Act as South Africa’s National Contact Point for the joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) and the European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
  
  
• Coordinate, communicate, and collaborate with other stakeholders involved in the Food Control system of South Africa.
  
  
• Actively contribute to the development of joint WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) food standards by convening South African shadow codex committees that develop, review, analyse, draft and comment on the standards in the stepwise Codex procedure as well as prepare positions for deliberation at Codex meetings.
  
  
• Annually coordinate the celebration of the World Food Safety Day (7 June).
  
  
• Convene or serve on national and international bodies that deal with food control matters.
  
  

Enforcement of the legislation

The enforcement of food legislation is delegated to Municipal Health Services of the district and metro municipalities. The legal basis for this is through various prescripts emanating from the Constitution, the Municipal Structure Act, 1998 (Act No. 117 of 1998) the National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003) and finally the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972)