To help address the multifaceted nature of food safety in South Africa and the need to address challenges across the supply chain for improved public health, the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has launched the Food Safety Forum.

The forum has been established as a coordinated, national effort to safeguard the health of the nation and secure a resilient food future, by fostering multisectoral engagement between government, industry, civil society and academia.

The forum will also enhance public awareness, support regulatory harmonisation and disseminate scientific knowledge.

During a webinar to announce the launch of the forum, on November 19, Food Safety Forum chairperson Lise Korsten advocated for an integrated national food safety system that is supported by all stakeholders to improve the nation’s food quality from farm to fork and thereby safeguard public health.

She highlighted the key issues in the food system as being fragmented regulatory systems, infrastructure shortcomings and enforcement difficulties, while the food system was complex given that it extended from farmers and packers to logistics, distribution and retailers – both in a formalised and informal manner in South Africa.

The need for a Food Safety Forum arose following recent public health tragedies such as the Listeriosis outbreak in 2018 and the 2024 Spaza shop snack incidents whereby 23 children died from pesticide contamination. These are among the events that have exposed deep systemic vulnerabilities within the food system, Korsten said.

The true scale of the food safety problem is obscured, however, owing to underreporting challenges with the National Surveillance System.

She pointed out that food safety oversight was split across multiple government departments, leading to variable levels of enforcement and more of a reactive and crisis-driven approach to food safety, instead of a preventive approach.

“The fragmented structure creates confusion, delays and inconsistent safety standards. The Department of Health manages overall food safety, labelling and additives through the Foodstuffs Act, while the Department of Agriculture regulates meat safety and agricultural product standards.

“In turn, The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition oversees compulsory specifications through the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications,” Korsten explained, adding that other organisations in the process include the Consumer Goods Council, the South African National Accreditation System, the National Agricultural Marketing Council and the Perishable Produce Export Certification Agency.

The result has been overlapping jurisdictions that require a more unified and integrated approach – a single agency to streamline regulations, enhance investigative capacity and enhance public trust.

She pointed out the unique challenge with South Africa’s food was that of the dualistic system of the informal and formal food sectors, with the informal food sector being minimally controlled from a regulatory perspective and having inadequate infrastructure and support.

Foodborne disease outbreaks represent a severe and recurring threat affecting the food system and public trust, especially as climate change can alter pathogen risks and increase contamination from mycotoxins and floods.

Moreover, overuse of antimicrobials in agriculture as a result of intensive farming and increased demand can lead to antimicrobial resistance which threatens the entire food system.

It is estimated that 60% of urban households rely on the informal food sector, including spaza shops and vendors, for affordable daily food needs. These facilities, however, often lack access to clean water, sanitation and waste management.

There is also insufficient formal food safety training for vendors and it is a highly self-regulated sector.

“A Food Safety Authority can consolidate regulation and enforcement and oversee systemic upgrades and regulation of the informal food sector through funding and training. This will require a “one food” approach and partnership between academia, and the public and private sectors to proactively manage new threats,” Korsten stated.

She added that implementing controls from farm to fork was essential to secure the value chain – from biosecurity on farms, handling during packing and processing, traceability during distribution and safe handling before it reaches the consumer.

To this end, technology can be leveraged for a more transparent and accountable supply chain, including open findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable data, Internet of Things sensors, blockchain and radio frequency identification.

Korsten suggested that regional and mobile laboratories could be scaled up as an innovative project to provide affordable and on-site testing for small-scale farmers and businesses.

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During the forum’s launch, food safety consultancy Anelich Consulting founder and microbiology specialist Professor Lucia Anelich said the greatest number of deaths and injury in the food system occurred through microbiological pathogens or microbial pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

She mentioned that pesticide residue is more of a border control problem with unsafe and illegal foods being imported from neighbouring countries, since South African pesticides go through a rigorous approval process.

A pressing problem locally, however, is that of insignificant numbers of environmental health practitioners (EHP). Anelich said the country had about 2 500 EHPs compared with the recommended 5 000 by the World Health Organisation for a country of this size.

Food safety consultancy Krystal Consulting founder Tamsin Mzozoyana said South Africa’s three-million smallholder farmers – compared with 35 000 commercial farmers – needed more training on the overuse of pesticides. She said farmers often oversprayed or undersprayed and used the cheapest products on the market, which could result in risks to food safety.

For Consumer Goods Council of South Africa Food Safety and Sustainability Initiative executive Matlou Setati, increased traceability was required in the food system. That would improve communication among certification and food quality service providers.

Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development veterinary services chief director Dr Wynton Rabolao agreed with other speakers that a unified approach to food safety was needed.

He cited the example of high-quality inspections being done at abattoirs, only for the products to end up in unhygienic conditions down the line.

He implored municipalities to deploy more inspectors at taxi ranks, for example, and to assist with waste management to reduce rat infestations in informal settlements.

Rabolao also advocated for uniformity in the application of standards and norms across national and provincial governments, given the multitude of health and agriculture departments across these spheres of government.

ASSAf has invited nominations for membership to the Food Safety Forum. Interested parties can submit their nominations by email to tebogo@assaf.org.za.