General requirements for import
“The Foodstuffs, Disinfectants and Cosmetics Act (FDCA) 54 of 1972”: Provides guidance to ensure food safety and safety assurance for imported food. The Act is meant to control the sale manufacture, importation, and exportation of food stuff.
You can find the Act at the following link:
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201504/act-54-1972.pdf
“Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 39 of 2007”: Amends some part of the “Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972”; it inserts new definitions, provides guidance on the authorization of medical practitioners; environmental health practitioner, veterinarians and any other persons considered fit to administer the Act, and it increments the deposit for further analysis or examination of a sample.
You can find the Act at the following link:
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/a39-07.pdf
“Government Gazette, 4 October 2019, No. 42739”: Provides guidance about imported food inspection advice as well as the treatment, destruction, or re-exportation of non-compliant food.
You can find the Government Gazette at the following link:
Additives, contaminants, antimicrobials, and residues
“GNR. 500 of 30 April - Regulation relating to maximum levels for metals in foods”: Provides guidance about maximum levels for contaminants in food, their standards, and their maximum levels.
You can find the legal text at the following link:
http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/saf123527.pdf
“Government Notice No R. 2376 of 28 August 1992 – Regulation governing the maximum limits for veterinary medicine and stock remedy residues that may be present in food stuffs”: Provides guidance about residues of veterinary drugs and antibiotics in foodstuffs which are permitted to be added to food, their standards, and their maximum levels.
You can find the Government Notice at the following link:
https://www.ehrn.co.za/download/reg_vet.pdf
“Government Gazette No R. 215 of 10 March 2006”: Provides in its Annex the amendment part and the addition of the Government Notice No R. 2376 of August 1992. In particular it provides the maximum levels of: Albendazole, Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Carazolol, Cloxacillin, Dicloxacillin, Febantel, Febendazole, Monensin, Netobimin, Oxacillin, Oxfendazole, Suiphadimidine, Sulphonamides, Tetracyclines, Trimethoprim.
You can find the Government Gazette at the following link:https://www.foodfocus.co.za/assets/documents/Amendment%202006.pdf
“Government Notice No R. 965”: Provides guidance about additives in foodstuffs which are permitted to be added to food, their standards, and their maximum levels.
You can find the legal text at the following link:
Microbiological and organic criteria
“GNR. 692 of 16 May 1997 - Regulations governing microbiological standards for foodstuffs and related matters”: Provides guidance about the microbiological and histamine maximum levels in foodstuffs.
You can find the legal text at the following link:
“Government Gazette No 547 of 23 May 2008”: This Gazette provides guidance about the microbiological and histamine maximum levels in fishery and aquaculture products.
You can find the Government Gazette at the following link:
https://www.ehrn.co.za/download/reg_micro_stds.pdf
Traceability
“Consumer Protection Act No.68 of 2008 (CPA)”: Provides guidance on the recall procedures of imported products and it creates liability for every link in the production chain so a traceability and assessment systems must be in place. The importers must provide a written record of each transaction to the consumer to whom any goods or services are supplied.
You can find the Act at the following link:
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/321864670.pdf
Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA): Aims at combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, thereby promoting the sustainability of global fisheries.
You can find the Law at the following link:
http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/saf15984.pdf
Labelling and packaging
“GN R146 in GG 32975, 1 March 2010 - Regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs”: Provides guidance about the necessary requirements and standards for labelling and packaging.
Product labels must contain the following information:
· Name, trade name or description of the product;
· Name and complete address of manufacturer/packer, importer, country of origin of the imported food;
· Net weight, number or volume of contents in metric units;
· Distinctive batch, lot or code number;
· Month and year of manufacture and packaging;
· Month and year by which the product is best consumed;
· Information about pharmaceutical and industrial products must be in English;
· If food products have been genetically modified this must be indicated in the label.
You can find the legal text at the following link:
Last updated: 30/08/2022
Cover photo: Photo by Tobias Reich on Unsplash