eThekwini Municipality Launches Campaign to Ensure Food Safety in Informal Shops

Van Heerden emphasized that the campaign aims to enforce food safety regulations while educating business owners and the public about safe food handling practices.

eThekwini Municipality’s Health Unit is launching a comprehensive campaign to address growing public health concerns over food safety in spaza and tuck shops across the city. This initiative follows recent reports of fatalities and illnesses linked to the sale of contaminated food, prompting urgent action to regulate informal food outlets.

The two-month campaign will focus on compliance monitoring, enforcement, and public education, according to Rose Van Heerden, Head of the City’s Health Unit. The effort will involve multiple stakeholders, including Environmental Health Services, Metro Police, SAPS, and the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development.

Enforcement and Education: A Balanced Approach

Van Heerden emphasized that the campaign aims to enforce food safety regulations while educating business owners and the public about safe food handling practices.

“Before we can enforce regulations, we must educate tuck shop owners about health standards. The continued sale of unsafe food items poses a risk, especially to vulnerable children in our communities,” said Van Heerden.

The campaign will engage with vendors, particularly those near schools, to promote good hygiene practices and ensure the sale of safe, high-quality food. Target areas include KwaNyuswa, Embo, Molweni, KwaDabeka, Wybank, Hillcrest, Waterfall, and uMlazi.

Stepping Up Inspections and Enforcement

From January to September 2024, the Health Unit conducted over 600 inspections and took more than 700 enforcement actions in its three sub-districts. During a similar operation last November, hundreds of expired food items were condemned from over 80 tuck shops in Pinetown and nearby areas.

This year’s campaign will build on those efforts, with teams checking food expiry dates, inspecting hygiene conditions, and ensuring that vendors have proper documentation.

“Shops operating without legal permits will be shut down,” Van Heerden stated. “Our law enforcement partners will arrest undocumented individuals who fail to provide required business permits, and we will issue compliance notices and fines for any by-law violations.”

Addressing Public Concerns

Van Heerden urged residents to be vigilant when purchasing food from informal vendors and report any unsafe practices to authorities. She highlighted the importance of community involvement in supporting the campaign’s goals.

In addition to enforcement, public workshops will be held to educate communities about identifying unsafe food items and understanding basic food hygiene.

Partnerships for Long-Term Impact

The Health Unit has partnered with local schools and community organizations to extend the campaign’s reach. Educational materials will be distributed to schoolchildren and parents, emphasizing the risks associated with consuming expired or poorly stored food.

This multi-faceted approach reflects the municipality's commitment to safeguarding public health while addressing the socioeconomic challenges faced by informal traders. “We want to build a culture of compliance and safety in our city’s informal food sector,” Van Heerden concluded.

Residents are encouraged to report concerns about food safety to the municipality’s hotline or visit local service centers for assistance.