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. |
Functions of the Directorate
The main functions of the Directorate: Food Control, inter alia,
include:
- Administer, compile and publish legislation relating to food safety, food
labelling and related matters.
- Initiate, coordinate and evaluate general as well as more specific food
monitoring programmes.
- Audit and support provinces and local authorities with food law enforcement.
- Inform, educate and communicate (IEC) food safety and related matters to
stakeholders such as industry, consumers and other departments.
- Act as the national contact point for the joint FAO/WHO Codex
Alimentarius Commission.
- Evaluate agricultural remedies and chemicals and food produced by means
of biotechnology.
National and International Liaison
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:
- The joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission
- The South African Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee
- The Interdepartmental Committee for the Safe-guarding of Humans against Poisons
- The Market Access and Regulatory Working Group of the Agricultural Committee of the US-SA Binational Commission
- The Veterinary Products Policy Committee, the Veterinary Clinical Committee and the Complementary Medicines Committee of the Medicines Control Council
- The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)
- The Food Advisory Consumer Service (FACS)
- The Pretoria Technikon Advisory Committees for the National Diplomas in Environmental Health and Food Technology
- The Inter-provincial Port Health Committee
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