Surprise raids in Durban target meat products

THE National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Consumer Commission (NCC) descended on various businesses in Durban for surprise raids yesterday and seized non-compliant ready-to-eat processed meat products.

- THOBEKA NGEMA

NRCS Food and Associated Industries Business Unit principal inspector Grant Hingle said they were there to assess compliance with regulations regarding ready-to-eat processed meat products.

He explained that following the listeriosis outbreak a few years ago, the Department of Trade and Industry mandated the NRCS to regulate the processed meat industry to eliminate a possible recurrence of the outbreak.

All ready-to-eat processed meat product manufacturers are required to follow a national standard of compulsory specification and a South African national standard.

“We have a situation where we have retail butcheries manufacturing processed meat products on their premises for sale in their stores,” Hingle said.

He said their primary focus is to try to get them to comply.

One of their stops was a meat wholesaler in Mahatma Gandhi Road in the Point area, where the team identified and seized several ready-to-eat processed meat products.