The new regulations were published by the National Department of Health in June 2018. They require that any person in charge of a food premises must be qualified or otherwise trained in the principles and practices of food safety and hygiene, and that the training is accredited or conducted by an inspector. The same applies to employees who handle food at a food premises.

The regulations also make it mandatory for training records to be kept and routinely updated and made available to an inspector on request.

‘Cape Town, like many other cities around the world, has a burgeoning informal food sector. The new regulations are in the interest of public safety and we fully support them. However, the City is also mindful of the fact that many informal traders may not be in a position to contract a service provider that offers accredited training. It is for this reason that our Environmental Health offices will be rolling out free training sessions for vendors across the metropole,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

From 1 February 2019, City Health’s 16 Environmental Health offices will host free monthly training sessions for informal food vendors. Attendees who successfully complete an assessment will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

The Basic Food Hygiene training sessions will focus on a number of aspects, including:

• Legislation
• Hygiene
• Health hazards
• Food Safety
  – Keep clean
  – Separate raw and cooked food
  – Cook thoroughly
  – Safe temperatures
  – Safe water and raw materials
• Food spoilage versus food poisoning
• Personal protective clothing
• The importance of the role of food vendors
• Nutrition, specifically the importance of reducing sugar and starch in foods

‘Late last year, the City launched its Live Well Challenge, which looks at nutrition and what constitutes a healthy diet without breaking the bank. The challenge is designed to raise awareness about the dangers of chronic lifestyle diseases and how diet and exercise can mitigate the risks of contracting such diseases or managing them.

‘We believe it is important that our food vendors have a good understanding of these issues and start considering how they can play a role in building healthier communities, and help their business to flourish,’ added Councillor Badroodien.

The City’s Environmental Health Department will recruit food vendors in their areas to attend the monthly training sessions, but vendors are also encouraged to contact their local Environmental Health office for more information or to request training. Contact and address details for the various offices are available in the link here:
/media/hhvmmn1i/environmental-health-contact-details.pdf

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