REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE TOLERANCES FOR CERTAIN SEEDS IN CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Published under Government Notice No. R. 1225 of 4 October 2002

The Minister of Health has, in terms of section 15(1) of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972), made the regulations in the Schedule.

SCHEDULE

1. Definitions

In these regulations any expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act shall bear that meaning, and unless the context indicates otherwise -

“agricultural product” means barley, buckwheat, grain sorghum, groundnuts, maize, oats, oilseed rape (canolea), rice, rye, soya beans, sunflower seed or wheat;

“plant species” means a plant bearing poisonous seeds and identified to be Argemone mexicana L., Convolvulus species, Crotolaria species, Datura species, Ipomoea purpurea Roth., Lolium temulentum, Ricinus communis or Xamthium species;

“the Act” means the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act; 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972)

2. Restrictions

1. For the purposes of section 2 (1)(a)(ii) of the Act, no agricultural product shall, subject to the provisions of subregulation (2) contain –
   1. seeds of Crotolaria species, Datura species or Ricinis communis in a measure greater than one seed per 1000 g; and
   2. seeds of Argemone mexicana L., Convolvulus species, Ipomoea purpura Roth, Lolium temulentum and Xanthium species in a measure greater than seven seeds per 1000g of that agricultural product.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subregulation (1), where an agricultural product is to undergo sifting or any other process in order to reduce the number of poisonous seeds of any plant species before the sale thereof as a foodstuff for human consumption, these regulations shall only apply after such sifting or other proess has taken place.

3. Repeal

The regulation published under Government Notice R 1466 of 10 July 1987, as amended by Government Notice No. R. 854 of 29 April 1988, are hereby repealed.