Media Release: Your Guide to Festive Food Safety

For immediate release
5 December 2023

Food has to be fit for humans to eat and must conform to safety requirements as prescribed by law and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Load shedding occurs often in South Africa and these power outages have a direct impact on food safety. Three (3) factors that have a direct impact on food are the length of the outage, how often it occurs and where food is stored. Food safety issues, including spoiling, are especially likely to occur with perishable goods such as fresh meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, and leftover food (depending on how long they were stored before load shedding started).

Critical facts to remember

As long as it is cold, food should be safe. Food in a refrigerator may be safe as long as:

• Power outages do not last longer than four hours.
• The fridge door is kept closed and not opened often.
• The temperature of the refrigerator was at 4 °C when load-shedding started.

If a freezer door is kept closed, frozen food will stay frozen for up to 48 hours. Perishable food must be cooked as soon as possible if they begin to defrost. Refreezing perishable food is dangerous.

If the load-shedding schedule is known, one can prepare for it as follows:

• Ensure that the temperature in the refrigerator is 4 °C or as near to it as possible.
• Frozen leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry, fish, and other goods should be moved from the fridge to the freezer that you might not need right away.
• Buy fresh food in smaller quantities, prepare it fast, and enjoy it instead of buying it in bulk and storing it in the fridge.
• Take special note of purchasing long-lasting items, such as unopened canned foods and sterile or ultra-heat heated temperature drinks. These have a lengthy shelf-life outside of the fridge, however, once they’re opened, they too need to be chilled.
• Another method used to keep perishable goods as cold as possible for as long as possible, is to place ice packs around the items in the fridge.

THE CONSUMER’S ROLE

Given the price of food, one is hesitant to discard food but the risks associated with eating unsafe food is very high. Some perishables might not necessarily smell or taste strange, but may be filled with bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. Consumers must buy food at food premises that was issued with a Certificate of Acceptability (CoA), where they trade. A CoA is issued by an EHP and must be displayed in a place at the food premises for the public to see. If this is not possible, it must be immediately available on request from customers.

LABELLING

Consumers must look at the labelling and date marking of foodstuffs to make informed decisions regarding the foodstuffs they want to buy. It is important to understand that date marking is a best practice in the food industry and help to protect both food quality and food safety. Pre-packed food must be labelled in accordance with the Regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs, R146 of 1 March 2010.

Click here to read more about fake food and food labelling.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Johan Compion, Manager: Municipal Health & Environmental Services,

E-mail: info@gardenroute.gov.za Tel: 044 803 1300 / 082 803 5161

Media Release: Environmental Health Practitioners educate inmates at Uniondale Correctional Service facility about Diphtheria (Witseerkeel)

For immediate release
28 November 2023

On 21 November 2023, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) from the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Municipal Health Services serving the Outeniqua region, conducted Health and Hygiene education at the Uniondale Correctional Services facility.

Approximately sixty-eight (68) inmates and 3 staff members of the Uniondale Correctional Services were made aware of what  (Witseerkeel) is and how the bacterial disease is transmitted from one person to another. More topics that were covered include the signs and symptoms, as well as how the disease is treated.

During an interview with the Acting Head of the Uniondale Correctional Services, Mr Siebert van Rensburg, it was established that there are currently no existing cases of Diphtheria at the facility.  It was also confirmed that a representative from the Western Cape Department of Health conducts screening tests with every new inmate before admission to the facility. Although family members are allowed to have contact visits with inmates, they are screened prior to these visits and are restricted from entering the facilities should they show any signs and symptoms of communicable diseases.

The facility is utilising the same system that were implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, inmates are therefore also not allowed to attend funerals of family members who passed away due to a communicable disease.

Continuous hand and hygiene sessions will be conducted at similar facilities within the Garden Route district by EHPs from the GRDM.

Did you know?

Diphtheria, also known as “Witseerkeel” is a bacterial disease caused by infection. It is a vaccine-preventable disease, however a drop in vaccine coverage could potentially lead to increased numbers of cases. Diphtheria is preventable by vaccination given at 6, 10, 14 weeks, with booster doses given at 18 months, 6 years, and 12 years of age. It usually affects:

• The upper respiratory tract mucosa.
• The skin, and rarely other sites (including the eyes, ears or genitals).

It can cause local tissue damage (with inflammation, ulceration, oedema and a pseudo membrane/ grey, thick layer inside throat and mouth) and can be absorbed into the bloodstream (affecting the heart, nervous system or kidneys).

What are the signs and symptoms of Diphtheria (Witseerkeel)?

Signs and symptoms start to show after 2- 5 days from becoming infected. Signs and symptoms include:

• Mildly painful tonsillitis/ pharyngitis.
• A thick, grey membrane covering the throat and tonsils.
• A sore throat and hoarseness.
• Swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes) in the neck.
• Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing.
• Nasal discharge.
• Fever and chills.
• Tiredness.

Although some infected people may not show any signs or symptoms, they can still transmit the disease.

How is Diphtheria (Witseerkeel) transmitted?

• Via ingestion of large respiratory droplets through coughing or sneezing.
• Direct contact with an infected person through skin lesions or intercourse with an infected person.
• Touching surfaces that are contaminated with the bacteria.

ENDS