By Tswelopele Makoe
A RECENT episode of Podcast and Chill, a prominent South African YouTube platform, highlighted a significant issue in our contemporary society: the circulation of fake foods.
In the episode, the proliferation of counterfeit products, particularly from convenience stores – better-known as spaza shops – was spotlighted.
This issue was compounded by the fact that over 62 children across various provinces of our country were hospitalised this past week after consuming snacks from street vendors.
Six children subsequently died from the hazardous food products. The issue of food safety is permeating our society and affects our communities at the very core.
Spaza shops are located all over our nation. They are particularly pronounced in informal settlements and remote areas where grocery stores and large conglomerates are not easily accessible.
These stores often supply basic foods, toiletries, and over-the-counter medicines. These stores predominantly operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
They ensure fast availability of products, speedy service, and generally allow customers to acquire products on credit. They play a significant role in our communities, and as such, are heavily relied upon.
In recent years, spaza shops have been notorious for selling counterfeit products. From fake lotto tickets to food substitutions, to counterfeit medications – fraudulent products have been rife in the convenience stores across the nation.
Furthermore, these products are oftentimes presented as legitimate everyday products by way of fabricated labels.
Fake products are intentionally misrepresented, purely for financial gain at the expense of their consumers. This includes the sale of expired foods, contaminated drinks and sweets, reprocessed products, often packaged in unregulated, makeshift backrooms.
These fake products are not only detrimental to the health and safety of citizens across the nation, but they also have a ripple effect on our society.
The elderly, young children and everyday citizens with allergies are highly vulnerable to these disreputable products. Adulterated products contain toxic chemicals, fungi, allergens, dangerous substances, and unsanitary ingredients.
This puts consumers at considerable risk of contracting stomach flu and food poisoning. It further poses a serious long-term health risk, especially for young children and pregnant females.
The key issue with the dispersion of these toxic products is the lack of regulation of convenience stores. A lack of monitoring means that countless stores sell unsafe products without consequence.
There are various regulations in place to provide legal safeguards for consumers, as well as ensuring the proper premises and labelling of food products, however it is clear that the implementation of these regulations has been dangerously inadequate.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), unsafe food indefinitely leads to the proliferation of diarrhoea, cancers, and over 200 diseases.
It exacerbates fever and malnutrition, which especially effects babies, young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
In South Africa, more than 30 million people live in poverty. More than 44 million citizens do not have access to private or adequate healthcare. Poor healthcare and poverty disproportionately affects people of colour, particularly in remote rural areas.
Less than 28% of the population is able to access private healthcare on an annual basis. The challenges that are contended with food safety in the nation not only have a ripple effect on the nation’s households but are also directly impacting the economic strength of individuals in a highly contentious climate, where the cost of living is higher than ever.
It is pertinent that every citizen, even children, is extremely vigilant about food procurement and consumption. A lack of knowledge and limited resources amongst consumers only magnifies the problem.
We need to be mindful of the risks that are associated with consuming unsafe products. It is prudent that we are cautious of what we produce, and more importantly, what our children consume.
This could lead to a lifetime of health complications, and in some circumstances, death. As citizens, we need to tackle this issue with the seriousness that it deserves.
Our government needs to undertake the role of gatekeeper when it comes to issues of public safety, particularly where food is concerned. Environmental health practitioners, appointed by the Department of Health, are responsible for the management of food safety regulations.
They have the power to take action against non-compliant food premises. Enforcing stricter regulations, penalties and license regulations is key to addressing this issue.
Communities need to report suspicious activities and unscrupulous products immediately. Schools and all educational institutions need to be critical in determining which vendors and food establishments are safe and regulated.
Establishments that are endangering the lives of our communities need to be named and shamed, and indefinitely shut down. As a nation, we face a plethora of challenges on a daily basis, and the issue of food safety only exacerbates these problems.
The safety of children should be non-negotiable. We need to be critical and strict when it comes to the products that are consumed in our communities, and in our homes.
It is the responsibility of everybody in our society to ensure that our families and our citizens are safe. After all, safe food today ensures a healthy nation tomorrow.
* Tswelopele Makoe is a Gender Activist. She is also an Andrew W Mellon scholar, pursuing an MA Ethics at UWC, and affiliated with the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice. The views expressed are her own.