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DEFINITION OF TERMS
Certified: Informal traders who are regulated, i.e. they comply with Food Safety
Regulations relating to food premises and have been issued a Certificate of
Acceptability.
Certificate of Acceptability: Certification issued to owners of premises on which
food is to be handled as per the regulatory requirements of the Health Act of 1977,
Act 63 of 1977. CoAs are issued to owners of premises on which food will be
handled once an Environmental Health Practitioner has inspected the premises and
found them to be compliant and suitable for the preparation of food in terms of the
Regulations published under the Health Act of 1977, viz Regulations
Governing
General Hygiene Requirements for Food Premises and the Transport of Food,
Regulations 918 of 1999.
Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs): Trained professionals, competent to
enforce, amongst others, Food Safety legislation in South Africa. For law
enforcement, they are authorized as Inspectors. In other countries the terms
Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) or Health Inspectors may also be used.
Five (5) Keys to Safer Foods: Essential food safety messages or principles linked
to behaviours that, if adopted and practiced, will reduce the probability of foodborne
illness.
Food Safety: The assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is
prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.
