Food Safety

A Certificate of Acceptability (COA), commonly called a Food Safety Certificate by small business owners, is a Certificate that is issued by the Environmental Health Department by your local Municipality after a successful inspection of your food premises is conducted by a local Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP), also commonly known as a Health Inspector.

The COA is a legal requirement for all food businesses and is required by Regulations Governing General Hygiene Requirements for Food Premises and the Transport of Food, published under Government Notice No. R638 of 22 June 2018.

Any business that handles, prepares or sells food to the public. This includes food manufacturing businesses, restaurants, coffee shops, catering businesses, food trucks,  food vendors, food transport vehicles and food delivery vehicles are required to have a Certificate of Acceptability.

You need to contact your local municipality or visit your local municipality’s website. Some municipalities explain the process on their website and have the forms available online to download – see example for City of Cape Town here.

This differs and depends on your municipality. You can download the tariff fees from the municipality’s website. A word of warning: never pay the EHP directly. Always ask for the EHP’s proof of license when they conduct the inspection on site. Here is what the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality charges. 

• Zoning Certificate/Special Consent Approval – (Obtained from Town Planning) 
• Approved Building Plan
• ID of the Person in Charge
• List of suppliers
• Waste Removal Services – (Municipal Account Bill or Private Services Provider’s Contract/Invoice
• Pest Control Services – (Service Provider’s contract/Invoice) • 
• Certificate of Food Safety Training for Person in Charge whose name will appear on the COA
• Proof of Food Safety training for the Food Handlers
• Fire Safety Certificate – (Gas users only)

Depending on your municipality, it should take around 10 working days after your application has been submitted.

Your COA will remain valid unless there is a change in regulation, or the Person in Charge of your food premises changes or when there is a change to your building or layout of your premises or the nature of your business changes.