According to the World Health Organisation, foodborne and waterborne diarrhoeal diseases kill an estimated two million people every year. That is why food safety is the theme for World Health Day this year on Tuesday, 7 April. It is also one of the key responsibilities entrusted to the City’s Environmental Health Practitioners who conduct thousands of food safety inspections every year to mitigate the health and safety risks associated with exposure to contaminated or misbranded foods in both the formal and informal sector.

In the 2013/14 financial year, staff conducted 21 000 inspections at food premises and tested more than 8000 samples – 83% of which complied with relevant microbiological and compositional standards.

National food legislation governs the structural requirements of premises and their hygiene practices and principles; places responsibility on those in charge of a food establishment; sets compositional standards for foodstuffs; and provides for the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs. It furthermore provides for the detention of suspect foodstuffs and for the condemnation and destruction thereof in cases of non-compliance. All imported foodstuffs must comply with the standards set out in the legislation.

“ Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE There are many complex regulations in the food chain, but our staff are well equipped to interpret, monitor and enforce the regulations where the need arises. The consumer sees the final product on the shelf or on their plate in a restaurant and many are oblivious to the hard work that happens behind the scenes to ensure that they can trust what they’re paying for and consume products with peace of mind,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Health, Councillor Siyabulela Mamkeli.

Legislation also dictates that most food premises where a meal is supplied or served, including food hawkers or vendors, must be in possession of a business licence as well as a Certificate of Acceptability that must be displayed at the premises.

“We put a lot of demands on the formal and informal food sectors, but food safety in the kitchen at home needs to be treated just as seriously. Even if a product leaves the establishment in good condition, how it is handled at home can also have serious consequences, like food poisoning. Ultimately, food must be cooked thoroughly and the person doing the cooking should was their hands thoroughly before touching anything as they could so easily contaminate the food and affect their family’s health. I would also advise consumers to avoid eating food that has come out of a dented, rusty or bloated tin. In fact, if they see items like that on the shelves, they must report it to the management,” added Councillor Mamkeli. 

The World Health Organisation advocates five keys to safer foods:

- Keep clean;
- Separate raw and cooked;
- Cook thoroughly;
- Keep food at safe temperatures; and
- Use safe water and raw materials.

On World Health Day, the City’s Environmental Health Practitioners will raise awareness around food safety based on these key aspects which are also promoted in all health and hygiene projects that the department conducts during its community outreach programmes.

Members of the public can report any concerns around food safety to their nearest Environmental Health office or lodge complaint with the City’s call centre on 0860 103 089.

For more information on the City of Cape Town, visit www.capetown.gov.za.