It’s time to target bigger food outlets for compliance: Maile

Gauteng Finance and Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile says it’s time for government to target bigger food outlets for compliance, not just spaza shops. Maile led a food safety blitz targeting various spaza shops and food outlets in Soweto on Monday.

The aim of the blitz was to make sure that spaza shops and food outlets are not selling contaminated food, adhering to health standards and complying with regulations.

Three major supermarkets were inspected in Soweto. The first stop was in Dlamini, Moroka and Maponya mall. Some stores were found with several violations of food safety regulations with expired food and rodent waste on some products.

“We found few expired products in some of them and we also found out that they’re not as clean as they are supposed to be especially where they are handling food and we also found that some of the products are not properly labelled of when they were prepared and when are they expiring. Unfortunately, because we are with the law enforcement and inspectors, we were able to remove some of the products that are not supposed to be on the shelves,” says Maile.

Notices have been issued to non-compliant shops.

“So, when one shop is found to be non-compliant in terms of a specific regulation that is to be attended by a specific body, government then that body can issue a notice and they need to do that. They do follow ups as well to make sure that everyone is compliant. Today was to ensure that everyone is compliant and if they aren’t compliant, we issue notices and after we will then come and check to see are they now compliant if not then there will be consequences,” says Zukusani Ndleleni, consumer investigator.

Maile says supermarkets have been warned.

“I’m certainly not happy and not impressed. We expected better from them. There is no excuse. We have given them a notice. We have asked them that when the inspectors come back, everything must be 100 percent,”

Inspected stores remain open and will be visited again for further inspections. Government has been inspecting spaza shops and businesses following a food borne illness outbreak earlier this year.

Video: Spaza Shops – Inspections in Soweto uncover health and safety violations: MEC Lebogang Maile