Durban - Twenty-two business owners were fined during a sting operation in the Isipingo area on Thursday. The sting, under the banner of Operation Fiela, saw teams from the city’s health department, Metro Police and other stakeholders conducting searches of a number of stores in the Isipingo central business district.
Twelve teams inspected both formal and informal food outlets and ensured that business were adhering to the city’s bylaws.
Teams walked through kitchens and serving areas of these establishments, checking on whether food sold was fresh and had not passed its sell-by date.
Teams also checked social facilities to make sure they were safe and compliant with the city's laws.
15112018 (Durban) A multidisciplinary team hit the streets of Isipingo in a bid to ensure that both formal and informal traders were towing the line when it comes to the selling of food to the public.
Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng/African News Agency(ANA)
Coordinator of the blitz and manager of the city’s Environmental Unit, Santosh Hanraj said teams conducted regular checks of supermarkets, convenience stores, coffee shops, bakeries, retail meat markets, food processing plants, food warehouses, restaurants, take-aways, taverns and informal food traders.
According to Hanraj, foodborne illnesses can be caused by improper food handling practices, inadequate temperature control, poor food storage practices, improper cleaning of equipment and utensils including food labelling and expired foods.
"Our goal of the Environmental Health Unit inspections is to protect public health by working to minimise adverse impacts on human health that is caused either directly or indirectly. This is accomplished through health inspections, health education and enforcement,” he said.
Hansraj said food premises inspections are conducted one to four times per year depending on the risk level and complexity of the premises.
Results of the sting:
• 75 inspections conducted,
• 24 premises were found to be satisfactory,
• 51 premises were found to be unsatisfactory,
• 19 premises with Certificates of Acceptability,
• 22 premises issued with prosecution notices with fines amounting to R52 000,
• 65 health awareness programmes were conducted,
• 299 people were reached,
• 106 kg of food, namely cheese and polony, were confiscated,
• 68 illegal cosmetic beauty products (banned skin lighting cream) were seized.
Other departments, who were part of the blitz, achieved the following
:
• The Fire Department inspected six premises with four notices served. One is pending closure,
• The Electricity Department inspected 35 metres with two illegal services removed, there are five pending disconnections. Furthermore, five Instruction to Remove/Repair Notices were served for non-compliance,
• The Home Affairs Department inspected 21 documents resulting in five arrests,
• The Liquor Board had one prosecution which will result in a court appearance and,
• SAPS had one prosecution of R1500