| Objective: The Directorate: Food Control ensures an optimal non-personal preventative primary health care service in respect of the safety of food for the South African community based on basic needs and the right to make informed choices without being misled by means of scientifically founded legislation, auditing and information actions. |
The main functions of the Directorate: Food Control, inter alia, include:
The Directorate: Food Control administers those parts of the following Acts that relate to food:
Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No 54 of 1972)
This Act addresses the manufacture, sale and importation of foodstuffs. Authorised local authorities in their areas of jurisdiction enforce it. Food import control is conducted by the Port Health Services of the Provincial Health Departments on behalf of the national Department of Health. The Act does not require the issuing of food import permits by South Africa or of certification by exporting countries. Food is detained by Customs and Excise for clearance by port health and may be inspected, sampled and analysed. Entry into the country can be denied if the food is not in compliance with the requirements of the Act.
The Health Act, 1977 (Act No 63 of 1977)
Regulations related to the hygienic handling of food and the inspection of, inter alia, food premises published under this Act are also enforced by local authorities in their areas of jurisdiction.
The International Health Regulations Act, 1974 (Act No 28 of 1974)
This Act provides for the approval by the Department of Health of the source of food for consumption at ports, airports, on vessels and on aircraft, as well as for the inspection of such premises and the sampling of food by local authorities. The provincial health departments currently approve premises on behalf of the national Department of Health.
Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972)
(The Act can be obtained from Lex Patria Publishers, Tel: +27 11 784 6373)
The following regulations are included under the Act:
- Edible gelatine
- Unwholesome or poisonous substances in food
- Ice-cream and ice-cream products
- Meat and fish and their preparations: edible fats and edible oils
- Tea
- Coffee, coffee mixtures and preparations of coffea
- Chicory
- Cocoa and chocolate
- Sugar, confectionary, dextrose and icing sugar
Health Act, 1977 (No. 63 of 1977)
Regulations include:
The International Health Regulations Act, 1974 (Act 28 of 1974):
This Act provides for the approval by the Department of Health of the
source food of food for consumption at ports, airports, on vessels and on
aircraft, as well as for the inspection of such premises and the sampling
of food by local authorities. The provincial health departments currently
approve premises on behalf of the National Department of Health.
Food import control is conducted by the Port Health Services of the provincial health departments on behalf of the national Department of Health.
The contact details for the Port Health Services are as follows:
The contact details of the Environmental Health Components are as follows:
Copies of the following guidelines / reports / training manuals / posters / brochures and pamphlets are available from the Directorate on request:
Guidelines / training manuals / reports
Posters / pamphlets
National:
Department of Agriculture
Department of Trade and Industry
Department of Foreign Affairs
South African Bureau of Standards
The Agricultural Research Council
SAAFoSTInternational
The Food and Drug Administration
The US Department of Agriculture
The Australia, New Zealand Food Inspection Authority
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency
World Trade Organisation
Global Forum for Food Safety Regulators
International Life Sciences Institute
WHO
FAO
Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand)
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (UK)
International Food Information Council
The Directorate is located on the 16th floor of Hallmark Building, Vermeulen Street, Pretoria. Its facsimile number is +27-12-326 4374.
The Director is Dr T van de Venter (e-mail: ventert@health.gov.za). He is chairperson of the Food Legislation Advisory Group (FLAG) and the National Codex Committee and serves on a number of committees that are relevant to the functions of the Directorate.
Contact details: Ventert@health.gov.za
Secretary:
Mrs E Pienaar
pienae@health.gov.za
Tel: +27 12 312 0185
The Deputy Director who heads this sub directorate is Ms FWJ Jansen van Rijssen (vrijsw@health.gov.za). Her specific areas of expertise include food irradiation, food biotechnology and toxicology in general. Tel: +27 12 312 0154
Mrs A Casey (caseya@health.gov.za) (Assistant Director) is responsible for the allocation of Acceptable Daily Intakes (ADIs) of all agricultural and stock remedies not previously registered in South Africa. Publishing residue limits of agricultural and stock remedies and veterinary drugs in food and the classification of pesticides are also her responsibilities. Tel: +27 12 312 0155
Ms M Selematsela (selemp@health.gov.za) (Assistant Director) is involved in all aspects of food biotechnology. Tel: +27 12 312 0157
Ms M Herbst (herbsm@health.gov.za) (Principal Medical Natural Scientist) is responsible for food additives and contaminants, food standards and ingredients and non-nutritional food labelling. Tel: +27 12 312 0164
A Senior Medical Natural Scientist (vacant) is involved in the regulation of agricultural and stock remedies and veterinary drugs in food.
The Deputy Director who heads this Sub Directorate is Mr AWJ Pretorius (pretoa@health.gov.za). He is involved in matters relating to food import and export control, laboratory analyses, the auditing of food law enforcement, the safety of street foods and the authorisation of inspectors and analysts. Tel: +27 12 312 0159
Mrs F Makhoane (makhof@health.gov.za) is an Assistant Director who is responsible for food hygiene, HACCP and food microbiological standards. Tel: +27 12 312 0158
A Medical Natural Scientist (vacant) is responsible for the information, education and communication (IEC) programmes of the Directorate. The duties also include food surveillance and monitoring programmes.
(Including labelling and nutrition related matters)
The Deputy Director who heads this Sub Directorate is Ms V Carolissen-Mackay (carolv@health.gov.za). She is responsible for, amongst others, managing the National Codex Office. Tel: +27 12 312 1067
The Assistant Director in this Sub Directorate is Mrs A Booyzen (booyza@health.gov.za). She is responsible for nutritional food labelling. Tel: +27 12 312 0163
The Senior Administrative Officer in charge is Ms M Sinclair (sinclm@health.gov.za) Tel: +27 12 312 0160
For the purposes of its regulatory activities, the Directorate is advised by the Food Legislative Advisory Group (FLAG). This non-statutory body is composed of representatives of academic and research institutions, the food industry, consumer and professional organisations, other government departments and provincial health authorities.
The Directorate also plays an active role on committees and bodies such as:
Training seminar on monitoring of iodine in table salt
The monitoring of levels of iodine in table salt as prescribed by the Regulations on Salt published under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972) is a very important component of the programme of the Department of Health to eradicate iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) in the South African population. UNICEF has been supporting the Department in its efforts to attain universal salt iodation and is providing technical assistance in this regard.
The Department has embarked on a capacity building programme for Environmental Health Officers employed by provinces and local authorities who are involved in the monitoring programme related to this aspect through the presentation of a training seminar during which the following aspects are focused on:
The Directorates: Food Control and Nutrition in collaboration with UNICEF and MRC will be presenting the last in a series of training seminars for EHO's from the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces on 5 December 2001 at Wilderness Resort Hotel (Attendance is by invitation only)