By Eamonn Ryan
At the 2025 GCCA Africa cold chain conference Mphane Molefe, director at DALRRD, gave a detailed presentation focused on South Africa’s legislative framework for cold stores, especially as it relates to food safety and meat trade.
His talk emphasised the critical role cold chains play in protecting food security and maintaining public health, particularly in the context of growing intra-African and global trade.
DALRRD stands for the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in South Africa. It is the national government department responsible for:
- Agriculture and food safety
- Land reform and land administration
- Rural development and support services
- Veterinary public health and biosecurity
- Policy development and implementation related to these areas
The department plays a key role in regulating food production, managing agricultural trade and supporting sustainable rural livelihoods.
Molefe began by outlining the primary legal instruments that govern cold stores in South Africa. Chief among them is the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (FCDA), under which every cold store must be registered and issued with a Certificate of Acceptability. This is the baseline requirement for all establishments handling food products.
When it comes to handling meat and meat products, additional registration is required under the Meat Safety Act. Supporting regulations include the Red Meat, Poultry and Ostrich Regulations, as well as Veterinary Procedural Notice (VPN) 38, which specifically guides the registration and compliance processes for cold stores.
For imports, the Animal Diseases Act and the Meat Safety Act provide the key legislative foundation, although other legislation, such as the Agricultural Product Standards Act, comes into play, especially regarding food quality, labeling and compliance with international standards. Export processes, on the other hand, are guided not only by South African law but also by the specific requirements of importing countries. In these cases, veterinary health certificates are required.
Molefe explained the distribution of responsibilities across various government bodies. The national department sets food safety standards, negotiates trade protocols, crafts import permits and designs the veterinary health certificates used for exports. It also deals with policy-related appeals, especially when disputes arise over the application of national standards. In contrast, the Border Management Authority (BMA) handles operational appeals and is responsible for inspections at ports of entry.
Provinces also play an important role. They are responsible for inspecting consignments to be exported, issuing movement permits, monitoring the loading process and ensuring that products are not tampered with. They also issue non-manipulation certificates and final veterinary health certificates to confirm compliance.
Zooming into the Meat Safety Act, Molefe cited section 13, which makes it clear that imported meat must be stored in approved facilities and handled according to specific procedures, including veterinary inspections, before it can be released. VPN 38 is used to guide these approvals, and cold stores must be compliant before meat can be moved or distributed. Importantly, no one may remove any meat from a cold store unless directed by the National Executive Officer (NEO) or authorised officials.
He stressed the need for physical separation between inspected and uninspected consignments within cold stores. This ensures that unverified products do not pose contamination risks to already cleared goods. Hygiene, proper documentation and security protocols are all essential in preventing cross-contamination and maintaining integrity throughout the cold chain.
The procedures performed at ports of entry are comprehensive. These include confirming that the consignment matches the permit, checking cold chain integrity, ensuring no contamination or spoilage, reviewing lab test results and verifying that all permit conditions are met before allowing the product to proceed.
When discussing VPN 38, Molefe noted that this guideline is used for both import and export cold store registration. For exports, registration is handled by provincial veterinary authorities. For imports, inspections are conducted by the BMA, but the national department in Pretoria ultimately issues the certificate. Applications for renewal must be submitted at least three months before expiry and certificates are valid for one year.
Turning to the theme of innovation, Molefe discussed DALRRD’s move to digitise processes using the ESET system. This system is being updated to include all import and export facilities, enabling smoother permit processing and better centralisation of trader and business operator data. The department is also exploring the possibility of conducting virtual audits, which would reduce the need for travel and help streamline inspections.
Molefe then explained the process for opening markets or permitting new imports. When a trader applies to import a product, the department first checks if an existing import permit exists for the country or commodity. If not, they assess the disease status of the exporting country. If disease status is acceptable, they proceed to evaluate the veterinary services of that country. If the veterinary authority is trusted, permits can be issued, subject to compliance with conditions.
If conditions cannot be met, the department engages in negotiations with the exporting country. If agreement is reached, imports proceed; if not, access is denied. Where veterinary services are unknown or untrusted, DALRRD may send a questionnaire or conduct on-site inspections. The results of this evaluation determine whether the country becomes eligible for trade.
In cases where the disease risk is unknown, a risk assessment is conducted to evaluate the likelihood and consequences of disease introduction. If the risk is deemed acceptable, DALRRD drafts import requirements and continues with the standard process. If not, importation is not allowed.
Molefe concluded by aligning his presentation with the broader work done by Edison Machedi from the BMA (a GCCA conference presentation which is published in Cold Link Africa at another time). He noted that once consignments arrive at the border, they go through a process of visual inspection, lab testing, compliance checks and enforcement actions, which can include rejection or remedial treatment if necessary.