Ntombizethu S Mkhwanazi¹*, Camilla Adelle² and Lise Korsten³

¹Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
²Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
³Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa

*Corresponding Author: Ntombizethu S Mkhwanazi, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Received: January 29, 2025; Published: February 12, 2025

Abstract

Ensuring food safety is crucial for public health and sustainable development, especially in South Africa, which boasts a diverse agricultural sector and complex food systems. This paper provides a detailed examination of South Africa’s current food safety policies, legislation, and guidelines, aiming to map the existing framework and identify areas for improvement. Despite a solid legislative foundation-including key acts such as the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics, and Disinfectants Act (Act 54 of 1972) and others-challenges persist, including inconsistent enforcement, inadequate resources, and a lack of a comprehensive national food safety policy. The study, conducted in three phases from January 2021 to November 2022, involved a desk-based review, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions with key stakeholders. Findings reveal significant gaps, such as the fragmented approach to managing food safety incidents and the reactive nature of existing guidelines. To enhance food safety governance, the paper recommends establishing a dedicated national food safety policy, increasing resources for regulatory enforcement, creating a centralized food safety body, and adopting a proactive approach to managing risks, particularly in high-risk areas like large events and informal markets. These steps aim to address current shortcomings and strengthen the overall effectiveness of food safety governance in South Africa.

Keywords: Food Safety; Policy; Legislation; Guidelines; South Africa

References

1. APMG International. “Programme”. APMG International (2022).
2. “BFAP Baseline: An agriculture outlook for the period 2024-2033” (2024).
3. Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Department of Health, and Department of Trade and Industry (DAFF, DoH, and DTI).  Report from the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Department of Trade and Industry. Republic of South Africa. Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (2013).
4. Department of Health. Guidelines for Environmental Health Practitioners on Food Safety Control at Special Events. Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, Department of Health (2004a).
5. Department of Health. Policy Guidelines: National food safety alerts and recalls in South Africa. Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, Department of Health (2004b).
6. Department of Health. Foodstuffs, Cosmetics, and Disinfectants Act (Act 54 of 1972)”. Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, Department of Health (2020).
7. Duan, Keru, et al. "Pioneering food safety: Blockchain's integration in supply chain surveillance”. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 18 (2024): 101281.
8. "FAO’s Strategy for a Food Chain Approach to Food Safety and Quality: A Framework Document for the Development of Future Strategic Direction”. (2003).
9. Food Imbizo. “Food Safety Governance Stakeholder Mapping”. Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, Food Imbizo (2022).
10. Gardner, Sherwin. "Consumers and food safety: A food industry perspective”. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. FAO website (1993).
11. Kushitor Sandra Boatemaa., et al. "The complex challenge of governing food systems: The case of South African food policy”. Food security4 (2022): 883-896.
12. Lepeintre Jerome and Juanjuan Sun. "Building food safety governance in China”. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union (2018).
13. May Julian and Bruno Losch. "Food systems profile-South Africa. Catalysing the sustainable and inclusive transformation of food systems” (2022).
14. Ministry of Health. National Food Safety Policy. Ministry of Health, Republic of Ghana (2022).
15. Parsons Wayne. "Public Policy”. Public Policy and Administration3 (2002): 43.
16. Sikuka Wellington. “Food and agricultural import regulation and standards-Narrative FAIRS Country Report: South Africa. GAIN (Global Agriculture and Information Network) report”. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (2015).
17. Unnevehr Laurian. “Food safety in food security and food trade”. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute 10 (2003).
18. Unnevehr Laurian J. "Addressing food safety challenges in rapidly developing food systems”. Agricultural Economics4 (2022): 529-539.
19. World Health Organization. Food Safety (2020).

Citation

Citation: Ntombizethu S Mkhwanazi., et al. “Evaluating the Framework of Food Safety Policies, Legislation, and Guidelines in South Africa". Acta Scientific Agriculture 9.3 (2025): 27-35.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Ntombizethu S Mkhwanazi., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.