Passop What You Eat
Lately, it feels like every time we look at the news, there’s something new making us second-guess what’s in our food.
The City of Cape Town just announced that more people are raising concerns about food safety. In 2024, complaints about food quality hygiene and expiry dates have gone up by 55% to 199. The bulk of these grievances happened between November and December.
That popular phrase in the coloured community suddenly made more sense: “Ek eet nie enigeiemand se kos nie.” (I don’t eat anybody’s food).
The announcement is not surprising. Food has been a bit of a touchy subject lately. There’s been one bad report after another. Nasty truths about what’s sitting on our shelves, and what we’ve been feeding our families.
People swore off food they’d always trusted. But not everyone has the luxury to choose. With food prices rising, some are stuck buying whatever’s cheap and available.
And that’s exactly where the shady players come in. Manufacturers and shops out there see the struggle of our people as an opportunity. They cut corners, pack products full of who knows what, and sell it off as though nothing’s wrong.
No one should have to eat something they’re unsure of just because they can’t afford better. It’s exploitation, plain and simple.
7 Recent Food Scandals in South Africa
Children die after eating porridge
In September 2024, three children in Mdantsane NU2, Eastern Cape, lost their lives after allegedly eating a vanilla-flavoured instant maize porridge. Four children were hospitalised, and three of them, aged between one and four, tragically passed away. The product was removed from Spar shelves while investigations continued.
Snacks blamed for deaths in Soweto
Six children between the ages of six and eight tragically died after eating brown puff chips known as brown dash. Five passed away soon after eating the snacks purchased at a spaza shop, while the sixth later succumbed in hospital. The chips are commonly sold in transparent packets with no labels, making it impossible to check ingredients or nutritional information.
Pills allegedly found in packets of chips
In November, shoppers in Great Brak River reported finding pills in packets of chips. Police and health authorities investigated spaza shops in the area but did not find any pills in unopened packets. The supplier, Truda Foods, believes the contamination could only have occurred if someone tampered with the packets after production.
Rat found in loaf of bread
In August, a woman in Durban discovered what appeared to be a rat inside a loaf of bread she had bought at a Spar in Avondale. She consumed the bread over two days before spotting the disturbing contents while preparing toast one morning.
Allegations of dog food in sausage production
In Cape Town, a tip-off led inspectors to an unregistered sausage-making operation in Mfuleni. It was alleged that bone meal, usually used in pet food, was added to the sausage. Health authorities later said no dog food was found at the site, but the conditions were still alarming.
Pizza boxes reused at a local chain
A Roman’s Pizza outlet in Daveyton came under scrutiny after a viral video showed an employee cleaning used pizza boxes and adding them to a pile of seemingly unused ones. The company’s CEO launched an investigation into the incident.
Expired cakes sold at a coffee shop
In January, a customer bought a cake at a coffee shop in Mitchells Plain, only to later realise it had expired a week earlier. Authorities confiscated 20 more expired cakes from the shop.
What is being done about the issue?
The national government announced that spaza shops must be registered to keep trading. This means all food shops now need a Certificate of Acceptability (COA) to show they meet hygiene and food safety standards. This certification must be visible in every food-handling business. So next time you’re buying food, take a second to check if it’s there.
From 15 November to 31 December 2024, the City received 6 510 applications for COAs from spaza shop owners, mostly in areas like Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, and Strand. It’s clear that some owners are taking steps to make sure they’re meeting these new requirements.
If you’re a business owner, applying for a COA is simple. You can do it online through the City’s e-Services portal and it doesn’t cost anything. So there’s no excuse for not having it up.
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