Concerns over food safety at foreign-owned spaza shops, NKZN intensifies measures

As per the government, food safety in South Africa has become a significant public health issue, especially concerning food items from foreign-owned spaza shops. This comes as Government authorities have been driven to investigate with renewed determination to uncover the root cause of an alarming increase in food-related illnesses and deaths that has left communities across the country deeply concerned.

The Department of Health has highlighted a troubling trend during recent weeks in which a growing number of individuals, particularly schoolchildren, have fallen ill or died after consuming certain food products.

Those affected have concluded that these ailments are a result of food poisoning emanating from food stuff, particularly snacks, sold by foreign owned spaza shops. This has become the generally held view in the country, which prompted some people to take action based on this belief and understanding,” stated the Department of Health.

In response to the health risks posed by these incidents of food contamination, multiple government agencies have been engaged in comprehensive investigations and enforcement activities.

Specific initiatives taken include:

• SAPS Investigations: Detectives from the South African Police Service (SAPS) have been working tirelessly, focusing especially on cases involving children’s deaths, such as the incident in Naledi, Soweto. Their aim is to unravel the causes behind these mysterious health incidents.
• Environmental Directorate Inspections: The Environmental Directorate of the National Department of Health has deployed health inspectors to inspect compliance with health and safety regulations at various establishments selling food products.
• Department of Agriculture Review: Officials from the Department of Agriculture have been tasked with examining agricultural products to determine if any issues in production or regulatory compliance might be contributing to the problem.
• National Consumer Commission (NCC) Involvement: The NCC has sent senior officials to investigate potential breaches in consumer protection regulations to safeguard the public against harmful practices.

According to the Department of Health, after a thorough assessment of the situation, it is evident that each involved body is focusing on its respective areas to ascertain whether any laws or regulations have been breached or ignored. The Department also noted, “The national structure responsible for coordinating the security of the state (NATJOINTS), is treating these incidents as a potential threat to the security of the country and its citizens. Last week NATJOINS met to analyse this situation and after careful analysis recommended that all these investigations involving various institutions and bodies should be coordinated by the Department of Health because in the final analysis whatever it is that is happening eventually leads to ill-health or even death.”

This significant recommendation has led to the Minister of Health convening a meeting involving all of these organisations.

During this meeting, the Minister decided to enlist the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) as an additional partner in the investigation. As the Department explained, “This is because a few years ago, the country was bedevilled by a food-borne pathogen which doctors had diagnosed and laboratories identified as Listeria Monocytogenes. However, nobody knew what its source was. It is the NICD that mounted a country-wide search that led to the identification of the source. The Minister thought that experience would come in handy in the situation the country is faced with today.”

Following extensive analysis, the investigative teams collectively concluded that a chemical agent is likely the cause of the current outbreaks. They agreed that this agent must be identified as a matter of utmost urgency. To that end, a strategy has been established to launch a targeted, systematic search for the specific chemical responsible for these cases of food poisoning.

Newcastle’s Response Through a Multi-Agency Compliance Operation

The heightened focus on food safety has prompted direct action in Newcastle, where a multi-agency compliance operation was carried out to monitor food safety standards. Newcastle SAPS Spokesperson Lizzy Arumugam confirmed that a large-scale operation was conducted on 28 October 2024 in Newcastle’s downtown area, aimed at identifying and seizing potentially unsafe food products.

This operation involved several agencies, including Newcastle SAPS, Protection Services, Business Licensing, and Environmental Health Departments. However, only one business was inspected, yet numerous non-compliant items, including unlabelled food and meat, were identified. To ensure the safety of Newcastle’s residents, these items were promptly confiscated. Arumugam remarked, “This successful inter-agency operation demonstrates a commitment to protecting public health and safety through continuous monitoring. The operation will also be ongoing.”

uThukela District Municipality Takes Firm Stand on Food Safety Inspections

In addition to the actions taken in Newcastle, the uThukela District Municipality has been proactive in addressing the rising health risks associated with food contamination, allegedly linked to foreign-owned shops.

The uThukela District Municipality’s Communications Unit stated, “In response to an alarming increase in food contamination cases, allegedly linked to food bought from local shops, particularly foreign-owned businesses, uThukela District Municipality announced that it has intensified routine inspections. This was done through inspecting all premises to ensure compliance with food safety regulations and municipal bylaws,” according to the District Municipality’s Communications Unit.

As part of the intensified inspection efforts, uThukela District Mayor Cllr Shabalala, along with Okhahlamba Mayor Cllr V Mlotshwa, Cllr M Khoza, and other officials, conducted business inspections in Bergville within the Okhahlamba Local Municipality. These inspections involved going from shop to shop, verifying food safety compliance.

“The aim of the inspection was to call for communities to ensure the food they buy and consume is fit for human consumption. This emphasis is on the already existing inspections conducted by Municipal Health Inspectors, from time to time to ensure that the food sold at these supermarkets is safe for human consumption. And to ensure that the environment in which the food is prepared and kept is clean. These inspections take place at least once a month in various local municipalities to ensure food safety compliance,” explained the uThukela District Municipality’s Communications Unit.

Moreover, Mayor Shabalala emphasised that the municipality has intensified inspections to ensure that food products meant for public consumption are safe and correctly handled. “In some shops, you will find food, including children’s snacks, stored in the vicinity of or directly under chemicals and pesticides and some have expired,” the Mayor commented. He further highlighted that improper food storage practices significantly contribute to contamination, causing severe food poisoning cases.

The Mayor also urged the public to exercise caution by carefully reading food labels before making purchases. He advised, “In some shops, you will find food, including children’s snacks, stored in the vicinity of or directly under chemicals and pesticides and some have expired.”

He also said one of the major contributors to food contamination resulting in serious food poisoning cases was the manner in which food was prepared and stored in these shops. The Communications Unit further stressed that personal hygiene of food handlers plays a crucial role, especially when snacks are bought in bulk and repackaged. Issues such as overstocking and inadequate stock rotation often result in food products remaining on shelves beyond their sell-by dates, presenting a major challenge.

Gugu Mazibuko, Municipal Health Manager for uThukela District, explained that suspected food items are tested at laboratories to identify any contaminants. “We take samples of suspected foods to the laboratory for analysis to check for the presence of contaminants. We conduct targeted weekly operations on tuck shops within the district, focusing on the safety of food sold within these establishments,” Mazibuko shared.

The inspections were conducted in collaboration with SAPS, Traffic Department, Okhahlamba Local Municipality, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and the uThukela District Municipality’s Environmental Health Practitioners. Several fines were issued, particularly to foreign-owned shops found to be selling expired food products, and warnings were handed out to those failing to meet compliance standards. “The owners were told to ensure that all regulations are followed,” Mazibuko concluded.

As food contamination remains a serious concern, especially in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, where proactive inspections are unfolding, we encourage readers to stay informed and vigilant about food safety practices.

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