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16 December 2022 Media Release: No Pets Allowed – The Rules for Food Premises

Media Release: No Pets Allowed – The Rules for Food Premises

For Immediate Release
16 December 2022

The food-trading sector is responsible for ensuring that food safety management procedures are followed at all times. The Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) of the Garden Route District Municipality are responsible for enforcing these procedures at food handling premises within each local town.

Food handling premises refer to any location where food is manufactured, processed, produced, packed, prepared, kept, offered, transported, stored, or displayed for sale or for serving to the public in any serving area. The current regulation governing general hygiene requirements for these premises, as well as the transport of food and related matters, is Regulation 638 of June 22, 2018. This regulation was promulgated under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act of 1972 (Act 54 of 1972).

According to Regulation 638, article 10, the person in charge of food premises must ensure that: “An animal, subject to the provisions of any law, is not kept or permitted in a room or area where food is handled, except that – (a) a guide or service dog accompanying a person with a disability may be permitted in the sales or serving area of the food premises.”

This means that no animals (including domestic pets) are allowed at food premises or in any area where food is being served to the public, except in the case of a guide or service dog accompanying a person with a disability. It is the responsibility of all food premises owners and managers to familiarize themselves with the relevant legislation and requirements of the Act to ensure compliance with these regulations.

Offences: Any person who violates these regulations or allows such a violation to occur will be considered guilty of an offence and subject to the following penalties as provided for under Section 18 of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act of 1972:

  1. On first conviction: R400.00
  2. On second conviction: R800.00
  3. On the third conviction: R2 000.00

Feature image: Shutterstock.

ENDS