Media Release: Oudtshoorn Environmental Health Practitioners Celebrated World Food Safety Day on June 7

19 June 2024

This year, the focus of World Food Safety Day, observed on June 7, 2024, was “Food safety: Prepare for the unexpected.” This theme underscored the importance of readiness for food safety incidents and the shared responsibility from producers to consumers.

Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) from Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) monitor food-processing establishments by law. They inspect production, distribution, and consumption areas to promote safe food handling practices. EHPs conduct regular inspections in line with Regulation 638 of 22 June 2018, governing food premises and transport standards.

The World Health Organization defines ‘Food Safety’ as the assurance that food will not harm consumers when prepared and eaten. ‘Food Hygiene’ encompasses measures to ensure food safety from production to consumption.

Unsafe food can lead to serious health problems. It is well-documented that over 600 million people fall ill and 420 000 die annually from contaminated food world-wide. This is why prioritising food safety is of such great importance.

Food safety incidents can vary from minor to major crises. These incidents may arise from frequent and prolonged load shedding, food poisoning, product recalls, or outbreaks. In South Africa, Health Authorities enforce food safety control to protect consumers, ensuring food safety during production, handling, storage, processing, and distribution.

EHPs ensure compliance with Regulations 328 of 2007. This includes the inspection of all food premises. Some examples include hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. The role of an EHP during such compliance visits, include to check if a company has a valid Certificate of Acceptability (CoA) issuing of CoAs, examining food labels, investigating complaints, monitoring compliance, inspecting premises and vehicles, sampling foodstuffs, enforcing laws, and promoting food hygiene education.

For more information about food safety, please contact the Garden Route District Municipality’s Environmental Health Office in the Klein Karoo Region & Kannaland Region, under the management of Desmond Paulse. Contact 044 272 2241 or 083 678 6530.

For regional-related issues, contact Johan Compion, the Manager: Municipal Health & Environmental Services on 082 803 5161.

Feature Image: EHP Elizna Cairncross rolled out food hygiene education to food handlers and the management of De Biltong Man Butchery in Oudtshoorn

EHP Johan Smith educated the food handlers and management of the Spekboom Restaurant at the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn about the ‘5 Keys for safer food’

ENDS