Jabulile Mbatha23 December 2024 | 15:13

Food-related inspections shift to supermarkets, retail stores

The inspection drive stems from President Cyril Ramaphosa's directive for the sector to be regulated.

Food-related inspections shift to supermarkets, retail stores

Finance and Economic Development MEC, Lebogang Maile (left) and Raymond Martin, Chief Director of Consumer Affairs and Compliance (right) are inspecting food products inside the Shoprite store. Picture: Jabulile Mbatha/ Eyewitness News.

JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Finance and Economic Development Department says the focus of food-related inspections has shifted to supermarkets and retail stores.

The inspection drive stems from President Cyril Ramaphosa's directive for the sector to be regulated.

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This comes after the deaths of at least 20 children who died countrywide after consuming contaminated food allegedly bought from their local spaza shops.

"The focus for the longest of times has been on the spaza shops, and I think we might have dropped the ball on these big shops. We have to focus on them as well. Because everyone has got a responsibility to keep the standards but to also ensure that the places where they sell food from are hygienic and that people are not exposed to any danger," said Maile.