Food safety red flag: Thousands of SA school kitchens don’t have required certificates
Across the country thousands of schools that are part of the National School Nutrition Programme are feeding children without mandatory certificates. This is one of many challenges, including subpar school kitchen infrastructure, faced by the programme.
Across South Africa, more than 8,500 schools in the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) are serving meals to children without the mandatory Certificate of Acceptability (CoA). The NSNP provides two daily meals to nearly 10 million pupils at approximately 20,000 schools in the country's poorest areas. According to the Department of Basic Education's spokesperson, Lukhanyo Vangqa, schools must have CoAs, which prove that their kitchens meet public health, sanitation, and hygiene standards.
However, documents from seven provincial education departments reveal that only 76 to 255 of the schools in each province have the required CoAs. The Western Cape, Eastern Cape, North West, Mpumalanga, Free State, and Limpopo provinces all have a significant number of schools without the necessary certification.
The main reasons for schools lacking CoAs include inadequate kitchen infrastructure, the presence of traditional cooking methods, and the unavailability of environmental health practitioners (EHPs) to issue the certificates. Some schools have converted unused classrooms or shacks into kitchens, while others may have kitchens that do not meet CoA standards due to funding limitations or lack of priority in planning.
Additionally, expired CoAs can result from noncompliance or leadership changes at schools. Provincial education departments are working to improve food safety compliance by establishing food safety teams, regular inspections, and training for food handlers.
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