THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020

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THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
MARCH 2020

                             C O  V I D - 1 9 I N
         W  T O  M  A N AGE
PLUS: HO                   E R ( P U L L  O  U T)
       R K P L A C E P OST
THE WO
THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
MARCH 2020                               In this issue...
From Polony to Pilchards 			       3
to Pandemic
COVID Communications      			      4
News Briefs                   		   5
Dairy Technology 			               8
Mobile Laboratory Testing 			      10
Processed Meat 			                 13
Collaboration for Food Safety 		   14
COVID-19 and Food Safety Culture   18
COVID-19 Kitchens Gone Dark		      23 			                20
SA Avo Season Opens			             26
                                                                                     9
        16-17
     How to manage
 COVID-19 in the workplace
      (pullout poster)

     32                                 Packaging News                                            27

                                        Story of Innovation                                       29

                                        Changing Attitudes to Plastics                            30

                                        Plastic bag levies on the rise                            32

www.fbreporter.co.za                                  FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   1
THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
EDITORIAL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        TRAINING

                                                                                                                                        FROM POLONY TO PILCHARDS TO
                                                                                                                                        PANDEMIC - How Prepared are We?
                                                                                                             Publisher                  By Linda Jackson, Director, Food Focus.
                                                                                                        Food Risk Forum

I
  t may only be March, but 2020                   and find creative ways to tackle the               www.foodriskforum.co.za
  feels like it has been two years long           obstacles that this outbreak has
  already! Most everything else has               brought about. For some this seems
                                                                                                         Managing Editor
faded in the light of the COVID-19                almost impossible, I think in particular                  Bridget Day
Pandemic that has swept the world                 of the restaurant sector, which works               editor@fbreporter.co.za
and recently hit South Africa. Until              face to face with customers and has                      066 027 5454
now, listeriosis was the biggest disaster         been hugely impacted by the social
the food industry and the nation had              isolation measures in place. This
faced, but now we need to find deeper             challenge will not be easy, and in much
                                                                                                            Advertising
                                                                                                           Wendy Breakey
levels of resourcefulness, hope and               part, we face the unknown, but let’s                  wendy@fbreporter.co.za
determination to deal with this new               adopt the necessary measures to                           083 653 8116
and overwhelming crisis.                          protect our staff and our families and                                                I am, by nature a glass half empty person - I always see the worst-
     So many sectors of industry have             keep on fighting.                                                                                                                                                                  crises, everyone does have a stiff neck
been shut down by this virus – almost                 In case you weren’t aware – you                www.fbreporter.co.za               case scenario. So, I am not often welcomed in a risk assessment                              syndrome at these times – they all look
overnight many businesses have lost               guys are the heroes right now, the ones                                                                                                                                            up – to you. Look at Cyril, although the
                                                                                                     Published by Food Risk Forum       exercise as I see doom and gloom where others see the silver
all their clients and income. This is not         feeding this nation when everything                P O Box 247, Ebotse, Rynfield                                                                                                   measures are drastic, we do respect
the case for the food industry. Much              else is in turmoil. What you do matters,                  Gauteng, 1514               lining. I must work very hard to oppose negativity.                                          bravery. Perhaps the future for South
like the medical sector, our services             because without you, things would                                                                                                                                                  Africa will be brighter after this.

                                                                                                                                        B
are vital, and we simply cannot stop              be so much worse. So please, keep                                                            ut the last few years in the food     international travel? The closure of all
                                                                                                       Food & Beverage Reporter
doing what we do – feeding the nation.            on doing what you do; listen to the               and Food Focus are subsidiaries            industry have supported this world    ports? If you did then you are smiling          5. Think harder about
It goes without saying that this is no            authorities and the experts, do the                 of Food Risk Forum (Pty) Ltd             view. From polony to pilchards to     while most of us are reeling.                   the consumer
easy feat; we are required to keep                right things and teach others to do                                                   pandemic.                                                                                    The food safety issues we have
our staff safe, our consumers’ needs              the same.                                                                             As a senior executive in the sector, there   3. Think harder about your                      experienced since 2018 have shown
met, manage our supply chain which                    And wash your hands as if your                                                    are some lessons that can be learnt from     people                                          the fragility of consumer trust. Even
is under pressure, and still maintain             lives… and the lives of others…                                                       the turbulent times and I would humbly       So, it turns out employees are our most         the recent retail hoarding and panic,
excellence in food safety and quality             depended on it.                                                                       suggest, my world view.                      valuable assets after all. Ask the many         shows the lack of understanding from
(more than ever before in fact, given                                                                     Endorsed by the SA                                                         food company’s out there that are               consumers and the ordinary man in
that we are feeding a population                  Stay strong                                              Association of the           1. Plan for the worst, it might              struggling to supply simply because their       the street. I think we often give them
already under attack).                                                                                         Flavour &                just happen.                                 people are ill. Have we thought about           too much credit – we need to give them
                                                                                                          Fragrance Industry.
     But if there is one thing I know             Bridget                                                                               Over the last few days, it has been          their health and safety in this way before?     clear but simple information, so they do
about South Africans, we have the                                                                                                       uncanny how many times contingency           Have we considered that they could have         understand and know how to react. Our
resilience and courage to rise up in              You can reach me at                                   Endorsed by SAAFoST             plans has been mentioned and the lack        been transmitting other communicable            current concern – will the underlying
times of hardship, come together,                 editor@fbreporter.co.za                                                               of insight in these plans. Working at home   diseases? The attention we are paying to        state of our populations’ health be able
                                                                                                                                        sounds feasible but what about when          their wellbeing now is commendable, but         to fight off this scary new infection of
                                                                                                                                        the kids are there too? Recall a year’s      perhaps a little late. The risk assessment      COVID-19 or will it overwhelm us? Why
                                                                                                                                        production? Recall all production? Are       and the company wellness programmes             aren’t we thinking this way about food
                                                                                                                                        these the scenarios we are brave enough      need to be reviewed after this dust             safety? It’s the same bodies.
                                                                                                                                        to discuss or do they seem laughable         settles.                                             We thought 2019 was hard, but who
                                                                                                                                        in scale in relation to reality? And then                                                    would have thought that this is how
                                                                                                                                                                                     4. Lead from the front
                                                                       SUBSCRIBE FOR JUST
                                                                                                                                        reality changed.                                                                             the first quarter of 2020 would end?
                                                                                                                                                                                     Who told you about your company’s               Perhaps we should apologise for 2019
                                                                                                                                        2. Rethink your plan                         emergency measures? This is not a time          for all the things we said about it.

                                                                         R250 PER YEAR*                                                 They tell us to learn from the mistakes of
                                                                                                                                        others. Risk assessment is always more
                                                                                                                                                                                     to delegate. This is the time for the CEO
                                                                                                                                                                                     to rally the company around him/her
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Looking on the bright side (hard for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     me but critical for all of us) there has
                                                                     Make sure you get every issue of Food & Beverage Reporter          accurate with the blessing of hindsight.     and provide personal support and clear          not been a tsunami nor a hurricane.
                                                                          posted directly to you. Visit www.fbreporter.co.za            Well now we have it, so let’s not waste      guidance. Telling comments shared in            But perhaps these
                                                                    for subscription info. or email admin@fbreporter.co.za (*SA only)   these lessons. Now is the perfect time for   recent weeks have either praised or             should be added to your
                                                                                                                                        the risk committee to convene to review      condemned the leaders of companies              risk assessments.
                                                                                                                                        the risk assessment. Did you include         for how they have handled it head on or          Just in case.
                                                                                                                                        pandemic and the complete halt of all        shied away. The same is true for other          www.foodfocus.co.za

2   | MARCH 2020   |   FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER                                                           www.fbreporter.co.za          www.fbreporter.co.za                                                                       FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   3
THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
COMMUNICATION                                                                                                                                                                                                   NEWS

COVID-19 COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS                                                                                      PEPSICO WELCOMES
With so much in the media, here is a roundup                                                  COMPETITION COMMISSION’S
some of the official sites to keep you informed.                                              RECOMMENDATION
                                                                                              REGARDING ACQUISITION                                                VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION
                                                                                              OF PIONEER FOODS
                                                                    CONTACT                                                                                        OF DOMINOS PIZZA
                                                                                              The Competition Commission of South Africa completed its
                                                                    CHANNELS                  investigation and recommended to the Competition Tribunal
                                                                                              the proposed transaction in which Simba (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary
                                                                                                                                                                   Late last year Taste Holdings decided to sell its food businesses
                                                                                                                                                                   (Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza Maxi’s and The Fish & Chips Co),
    The official website is: www.SAcoronavirus.co.za                                          of PepsiCo, would acquire Pioneer Food Group Limited (Pioneer        and shift its focus to luxury goods. The sales of Starbucks,
                                                                                              Foods) be approved subject to certain conditions. The next           Maxi’s and The Fish & Chips Co were successful, but a suitable
                                                                                              and final stage of the acquisition consideration process in          buyer for the Domino’s Pizza brand was not found. The
OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES                                                                         South Africa is for the Competition Tribunal to consider the         board engaged with several suitors in order to dispose of
Department of Health:                                                                         proposed acquisition and make its clearance decision. The            the Domino’s business. Domino’s Pizza LLC (the US franchise
www.health.gov.za/index.php/outbreaks/145-corona-virus-outbreak                               recommendation from the Competition Commission of South              company) provided financial support and assistance during this
                                                                                              Africa represents an important milestone in the process of           period. Unfortunately, a deal could not be concluded on terms
National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD):                                          securing regulatory approval in South Africa. PepsiCo and Pioneer    acceptable to all parties and further financial support was not
www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/covid-19/                                                   Foods are aligned around a vision for building a more sustainable    provided by the franchisor. As a result, it was decided to place
                                                                                              future and investing in communities in South Africa and beyond.      the respective entities into voluntary liquidation.
World Health Organization:
www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

RELEVANT LEGISLATION
Regulation 318 – Disaster Management Act:                                                     TRANSIT RUNS ON GREEN
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202003/
43107gon318.pdf                                                                               FUELS MADE FROM
Employment and Labour unveils guidelines dealing with Coronavirus
Covid-19 at workplaces:
                                                                                              COOKING OIL
http://www.labour.gov.za/department-of-employment-and-labour-                                 Ford has approved the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)
unveil-guidelines-to-deal-with-covid-19-at-workplaces                                         in its Transit vans in Europe. This renewable diesel fuel is based
                                                                                              on waste oils, including used cooking oil that can be sourced
Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993                                                    from restaurants and takeaways – and even kitchens at home.
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/
                                                                                                   The use of HVO – or renewable diesel – in place of
act85of1993.pdf
                                                                                              conventional fossil fuels can contribute to improvements in air
Regulation 350 - Consumer and Customer Protection and                                         quality. Greenhouse gases can be reduced by up to 90 per cent
National Disaster Management Regulations and Directions                                       compared with regular diesel; and vehicles run on HVO emit less          Ford thoroughly tested HVO in its 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine
https://www.lexisnexis.co.za/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/753851/                              nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulates than other diesel vehicles     to make sure no modifications would be needed, and servicing
REGULATIONS-MADE-IN-TERMS-OF-THE-COMPETITION-ACT,-1998-                                       because the fuel contains no sulphur, or oxygen.                     would not be affected. No further development of the fuel was
ACT-NO.-89-OF-1998.pdf                                                                             Commercial companies across Europe collect used cooking         needed before it could be used in Ford’s latest Transit vans.
                                                                                              oil from restaurants, caterers and schools. RecOil, an EU                “Enabling vehicles to run on fuel made from waste, including
                                                                                              initiative supported by the European Commission, is working          used cooking oil, may sound far-fetched but it is in fact a

                       DOH CORONA VIRUS                                                       to increase collections to boost biodiesel production, including
                                                                                              more household collections.
                                                                                                                                                                   reality,” says Dale Reid, Product Marketing Manager Ford Motor
                                                                                                                                                                   Company of Southern Africa. “While HVO is not available in
                       (COVID-19)24-HOUR                                                           Additionally, HVO, which also incorporates waste animal         South African and is currently only available in limited markets

                        HOTLINE NUMBER:                                                       fats and fish oil, helps diesel engines start more easily in low
                                                                                              temperatures. The creation process, using hydrogen as a
                                                                                                                                                                   in Europe it will be interesting to monitor the interest in uptake.
                                                                                                                                                                   Industry experts in Europe predict that HVO will become more
                          0800 029 999                                                        catalyst, means HVO is both cleaner-burning than conventional        commonly available in the future as the appetite for renewable
                                                                                              biodiesels and has a longer shelf life.                              energy grows.”

4   | MARCH 2020   |   FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER                        www.fbreporter.co.za   www.fbreporter.co.za                                                                       FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   5
THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
NEWS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   NEWS

                                                                     UPDATE ON SECTION
                                                                     189 CONSULTATION
                                                                     PROCESS
                                                                     On 13 January 2020 Massmart initiated a Section 189                  Massmart has made this difficult decision after consultation,
                                                                     consultation process regarding the potential closure of 34           facilitated by the CCMA, with affected colleagues and their
                                                                     persistently unprofitable stores, comprising 23 Dion-Wired and       representatives. Together, numerous alternatives to store
                                                                     11 Masscash stores.                                                  closures were explored but ultimately failed to identify workable
                                                                         Today, Thursday 19 March, Massmart issued a JSE Sens             options that would return the stores to sustainable profitability.
                                                                     announcement in which the group announced the decision to                 Massmart continues to approach this difficult situation in a
                                                                     close and cease trading in the 23 Dion-Wired stores from 6pm         sensitive and caring way. To this end our focus and priority is
                                                                     this evening. The same Sens announcement also confirmed the          to leverage opportunities to preserve jobs through continued,
                                                                     closure of 11 Masscash stores, which will continue trading until     CCMA facilitated consultation, with affected colleagues and their
                                                                     further notice.                                                      representatives.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 UNIVERSITIES FROM
RUGANI JUICE                                                                                                                                                                                                     WINE PRODUCING
RELEASES THEIR                                                                                                                            UNIVERSITIES FROM                                                      COUNTRIES MEET IN
2020 CLOUDY                                                                                                                               WINE PRODUCING                                                         STELLENBOSCH
APPLE JUICE BATCH                                                                                                                         COUNTRIES MEET IN                                                      Rhodes Food Group is the second local supplier on Massmart’s
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 new export programme to get listed with Walmart US. The South

                                                                                                                                          STELLENBOSCH
Joining their existing range of vegetable juices, Rugani 100%                                                                                                                                                    African based canned food company will be supplying Walmart
Cloudy Apple Juice is more than just your everyday juice. Just                                                                                                                                                   US with an initial order of three canned pear variations. These
like the rest of the Rugani Juice range, freshness is their secret                                                                                                                                               include premium export quality 425g cans of pear slices in
ingredient. Their 100% Cloudy Apple Juice is unique in that it is                                                                         Stellenbosch University’s Department of Viticulture and                heavy syrup, 425g cans of pear halves in juice and 850g cans of
made from fresh produce (not from concentrate).                                                                                           Oenology hosted a training workshop for academics and                  pear slices in heavy syrup. With South Africa having some of the
In South Africa, apples are only harvested during a limited                                                                               international relations staff from 12 universities in wine-producing   world’s best canning fruit varieties,
period. From this, in-season harvest, fresh apples are used                                                                               countries in Europe and South America, as well as South Africa.        Walmart was impressed with the quality and taste of the pears
to create the very first, long life cloudy apple juice from single
origin. Each unique batch is marked with a golden stamp              SU FOOD SCIENTIST                                                    They are part of the international VitaGlobal project that brings
                                                                                                                                          together universities from diverse geographic regions, each
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 from Rhodes Food Group.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      This new export programme stems from discussions

                                                                     RECOGNISED AS A
indicating the year in which it is harvested. This makes the                                                                              offering programmes in viticulture, oenology or food science.          that took place at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos,
Rugani 100% Cloudy Apple Juice Batch 2020, a Limited Edition,                                                                                 The academics in the consortium are writing and                    between Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel and the
with only one batch available to enjoy every year.                                                                                        implementing new modules with a much broader international             President and CEO of Walmart International Judith McKenna. The
     At the time of harvest, every good farmer ends up with a
certain percentage of the crop that is not aesthetically pleasing
enough to sell, but still perfectly nutritious. As the leaders
                                                                     RISING RESEARCHER                                                    scope. In turn, staff from the different international offices
                                                                                                                                          are forging alliances and sharing strategies towards greater
                                                                                                                                          internationalising teaching.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 initiative also represents an extension of the Massmart Supplier
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Development mandate to include assisting local suppliers to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 access Walmart’s global markets.
in carrot agriculture in SA, Rugani took it upon themselves          Food scientist Dr Paul Williams is among 13 distinguished young      Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union,                  Massmart CEO Mitchell Slape says “I am pleased that
to innovate in the agro-processing space to transform this           professionals recognised by SPIE, the international society for      VitaGlobal was launched in 2019. The lead institution is the           this new evolution of the Supplier Development Programme
“not-so-perfect” fresh produce, that could have ended up as          optics and photonics, as one of it is 2020 DCS Rising Researchers.   University of Rovira I Virgili in Spain. It has already seen members   leverages Massmart’s relationship with Walmart and its global
waste further down the value chain, into a highly bio-available      Dr Williams is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of        of the network meeting in Argentina, Portugal and Chili.               scale to find opportunities for local suppliers, both big and small,
nutraceutical that’s accessible and affordable.                      Food Science in Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of AgriSciences.       According to Elizabeth Colucci, project manager of VitaGlobal      to export to Walmart’s retail markets around the world.”
     With their unique agro-processing set-up, they process the          He is the only academic among the thirteen in the 2020           at OBREAL (Global Observatory – Knowledge, Innovation and                   The Walmart Global Sourcing team met with 18 South
juice close to where the fresh produce is grown. The apples,         DCS Rising Researcher group not associated with an American          Development) the fields of food science and viticulture were           African suppliers in September 2019. From this, seven suppliers
like most of Rugani Juice’s other fresh ingredients, come from a     university.                                                          chosen because of their importance to local agri-economic              were identified as having export potential to Walmart markets,
neighbouring farm who also have a certain percentage of their            At SPIE DCS 2020 in California, he will present some             development.                                                           including I&J’s abalone and seafood, AVI’s Fresh Pack rooibos,
crop that is not aesthetically pleasing enough to sell.              preliminary findings on the use of near infrared (NIR)                                                                                      Vinimark’s wines, Rhodes Foods’ tinned fruit, Distell’s wines,
Rugani 100% Cloudy Apple Juice will be available nationwide          hyperspectral imaging to distinguish between different types of                                                                             Green Farms’ macadamia nuts and Glenart’s Christmas crackers.
at Food Lover’s Market stores from end-February. It will also        game meat and game meat cuts. This work, together with his                                                                                       In January 2020 the team visited the seven high potential
be available at Dis-Chem Pharmacies nationwide, as well as           postgraduate students on its use as an ID method for South                                                                                  supplier’s farms to evaluate their end-to-end supply chains.
selected Pick ‘n Pay, Checkers, Spar and other independent           African game species such as springbok and blesbok, follows on                                                                              Rhodes Food Group were listed soon after this trip and are
retailers by end-March.                                              those done by other researchers on kangaroo and reindeer meat.                                                                              hopeful of further listings in the near future.

6   | MARCH 2020   |   FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER                                                         www.fbreporter.co.za              www.fbreporter.co.za                                                                         FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   7
THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
DAIRY TECHNOLOGY

                                                                                                                                                  Development of Dairy
                                                                                                                                                  Standard Agency’s Guide to
                                                                                                                                                  DAIRY PRODUCT
                                                                                                                                                  LABELLING IN
                                                                                                                                                  SOUTH AFRICA
                                                                                                                                                  T
                                                                                                                                                         he DSA has recently developed a labelling
                                                                                                                                                         guide for the dairy industry. The legal
                                                                                                                                                         dispensation regarding labelling forms a
                                                                                                                                                  complex regulatory framework that can be difficult

DAIRY TECHNOLOGY –
                                                                                                                                                  to navigate and sometimes, whether intentionally
                                                                                                                                                  or not, allows for some difficulties in interpretation.
                                                                                                                                                  However, compliance with the requirements of
                                                                                                                                                  labelling regulations remains a non-negotiable issue

Standardising test methods for
                                                                                                                                                  and may lead to unnecessary costs if not properly
                                                                                                                                                  attended to.
                                                                                                                                                      The Dairy Standard Agency’s Guide to Dairy

improved milk quality and safety
                                                                                                                                                  Product Labelling in South Africa offers an electronic
                                                                                                                                                  tool to provide a user friendly and integrated
                                                                                                                                                  platform for the interpretation of the labelling
                                                                                                                                                  requirements regarding food safety, product
A countrywide series of industry workshops                           harmonised standards and to introduce the discussion of                      composition and metrology applicable to dairy
                                                                     harmonised testing methods.                                                  products. Thus far, 9 different product labels are
were held by the Dairy Standard in March 2020                            These discussions are pre-emptive of the regulatory changes              addressed in the guide.
                                                                     in the pipeline. R 1555 of 21 November 1997, Regulations                         To evaluate your own labels by means of a
to continue the conversation started last year
                                                                     Relating to Milk and Dairy Products, although frequently                     checklist supported by the relevant legislation for
around harmonised standards and to introduce                         corrected and amended, is due for a full review. The regulation              the purpose of interpretation, visit
                                                                     currently addresses the laboratory methods of analysis to be                 www.labels.dairystandard.co.za
the discussion of harmonised testing methods.                        used when testing milk and milk products, but new technological
                                                                     advancements have overtaken the regulation.
     These workshops are the next chapter for
                                                                         The workshop was presented by a number of distinguished
the Dairy Standard Agency’s (DSA) independent                        international experts who provided input to assist the South
                                                                     African Dairy Industry to align with international trends. Dr.
laboratory, DSA Lab Services, which opened last                      Isabelle Desforge, from bioMérieux, sits on the ISO Technical
                                                                     committee for method standardisation and she highlighted the
year in Centurion.
                                                                     importance of validation and verification of methods and the
                                                                     role of ISO standards for the dairy industry.

I
   t took almost two years of industry collaboration to address          The highlight of the day was a comprehensive technical
   the development of an independent infrastructure and              discussion presented by Nic van Waarde from Qlip, Netherlands,
   solutions that would establish harmonised standards for the       on the role and use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
analysis of raw milk parameters. The primary goal of the new         as a tool of effective analysis in the dairy industry. Qlip are
laboratory is to address the lack of a standardised system at        the world’s largest dairy and provide the calibration reference
national level for the calibration of laboratory instruments which   standards used by the DSA and industry to ensure valid results.
measure and analyse raw milk parameters namely fat, protein,         “The acceptance of the Qlip standards,” said Jompie Burger, MD
lactose, milk urea nitrogen (MUN), somatic cell count (SCC) and      of the DSA, “is a very important step in ensuring that a single
other quality traits of milk. Secondary to the production and        system is used in the harmonisation process of standards, in a
import of calibration standards, this laboratory will also focus     bid to mitigate the risks of disputes or litigation. This is especially
on compliance monitoring of milk and other dairy products            relevant where other internationally recognised reference
in respect of product composition, food safety and metrology         standards for the calibration of measuring equipment, which
standards. The facility is currently also exploring                  render fewer conservative results, were used.”
the establishment of a ring test programme and proficiency
testing scheme.                                                      For more information contact the DSA
     A series of industry workshops were held in March 2020          jompie@dairystandard.co.za. in order to participate in
around the country to continue the conversation around               the important process of improving our regulations.

8   | MARCH 2020   |   FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER                                                            www.fbreporter.co.za                www.fbreporter.co.za                                         FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   9
THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
MOBILE AGRI LAB                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             MOBILE AGRI LAB

MOBILE LABORATORY TESTING
                                                                                                                                                   laboratory. To get your sample to the lab,   Agenda on Sustainable development               delivered are relevant, cost effective
                                                                                                                                                   often involves a courier and this adds       is clear that there is no food security         and acceptable to import, export and
                                                                                                                                                   cost and time which can be a significant     without food safety. All role players           local authorities.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The main objective of this project is
– Removing barriers to safe food in South Africa
                                                                                                                                                   factor in the accuracy of the analysis.      need to work together as food safety
                                                                                                                                                   What is the solution?                        is a shared responsibility amongst the          the development of a mobile laboratory
                                                                                                                                                       “If the sample can’t get to the lab,     government departments of SA, food              prototype for food safety testing with
                                                                                                                                                   maybe the lab should come to the             industries, producers, consumers and            a unique proposition of ISO17025
The legal framework for food products in South Africa includes                                                                                     sample?” Is this a realistic and feasible    RD&I institutes like the CSIR that is           accreditation.
                                                                                                                                                   option? Well, the CSIR think so, and they    positioning its food safety programme,               The mobile laboratory will have a
numerous food safety and quality testing requirements.                                                                                             are partnering with several companies        leveraging internal capabilities across         customised Laboratory information
                                                                                                                                                   to test the mobile lab concept and           the organisation such as Smart mobility,        management system (LIMS), customised
How can you be sure your product complies with the maximum
                                                                                                                                                   even embark on SANAS ISO 17025               Biometrics competencies and big data            mobile testing equipment and generation
residue levels for pesticides unless you test? How can you                                                                                         accreditation for such a facility.           analytics to respond to the challenges          of results in real time at point of testing
                                                                                                                                                                                                of the public and private food safety           using digitized testing equipment for
ensure your surfaces meet the criteria for cleanliness in R638                                                                                     Food & Beverage Reporter chatted to          sector.”                                        the agricultural sector. With a mobile
                                                                                                                                                   Dr. Dharmarai Naicker (PhD, MBL)                                                             lab in place the cost of couriering
unless you swab and test?
                                                                                                                                                   Pr.Nr.Sci., the Food Safety Programme        What is the objective of the mobile             samples will be eliminated as well as
                                                                                                                                                   Manager, Advanced Agriculture and Food       lab project?                                    the cost of time delays in results, as they

A
      s food trade expands throughout              implications for developing countries like                                                      Cluster of the CSIR.                         “Currently laboratories for safety testing      may be available on the same day of
      the world, food safety has become            South Africa. The most important of these    Dr. Dharmarai Naicker (PhD, MBL) Pr.Nr.Sci., the                                                for both commercial and SMME farmers            sample receipt.“
      a shared concern among both                  is the issue of access to growing markets    Food Safety Programme Manager, Advanced            Why is this an area the CSIR are             for residue and pathogen testing in                  Dr. Naicker hosted a workshop
developed and developing countries.                for food exports, particularly high-value    Agriculture and Food Cluster of the CSIR.          interested in?                               particular are not easily accessible. This      with industry and government
Countries are being tempted to use                 fresh commodities. The growth of this                                                           “Food safety testing is fuelled by a rise    has led to increased expenses to courier        stakeholders recently and one of the
food safety regulations as a means of              industry is fuelled by a rise in foodborne   (Global Markets and Technologies for               in foodborne disease outbreaks,              samples to laboratories from pack               partner organisations, Mobile Agri Skills
protecting domestic industries from                disease outbreaks, advances in food          Food Safety testing, 2018).                        advances in food safety testing              houses, ports, central markets, airports        Development and Training (MASDT),
foreign competition. These features                safety testing technologies, globalization       The challenge for many smaller                 technologies, globalization of the food      and borders, with the added risk of             presented their experiences in mobile
of food safety regulation - particularly           of the food supply and stringent             companies and outlying areas is the                supply and stringent international           sample integrity being compromised.             testing and showed off their mobile
in developed countries - have several              international food safety regulations        cost of testing and the access to the              food safety regulations. The UN 2030         It is therefore important that services         facility.

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THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
MOBILE AGRI LAB                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ASFQ

Food & Beverage Reporter chatted to                Dad was an Afrikaner stud farmer. The            You are partnering with the CSIR in this
                                                                                                                                                    PROCESSED MEAT –
                                                                                                                                                    More scrutiny coming
Managing Director of MASDT, Lynette                embedded knowledge of growing up                 Mobile Food testing project, what does                                                                                                  shelves contain many ingredients other
Smit about what had prompted her to                on a farm, drove me to implement the             this partnership hope to achieve?                                                                                                       than meat, the need for the regulation
start such an ambitious project.                   virtual incubation concept in agricultural       “With the assistance of the CSIR, who                                                                                                   is clear. Although there is debate on

                                                                                                                                                    your way
                                                   development. This is a unique model,             partnered with MASDT, the mobile                                                                                                        definitions and the concerns regarding
Why did you start MASDT?                           although expensive and difficult to              laboratory will be modified for food safety                                                                                             the enforcement of many regulations that
“MASDT was established in 2005 as a                manage – but I love a challenge”                 testing with the unique proposition of                                                                                                  relate to the “meat” content, the labelling
Training Service Provider in the                                                                    ISO17025 accreditation, a customised                                                                                                    and the additives in processed meat
Agriculture Sector in Mpumalanga,                  When did you decide to take the                  Laboratory information management                                                                                                       products, at least this is a start by putting
South Africa, but changed to a Non-                project on the road?                             system, customised mobile testing                                                                                                       resources on the ground to inspect
Profit Company (NPC), incorporated in              “MASDT, with the financial assistance of         equipment and generation of results in                                                                                                  products and test composition.
terms of Section 21 of the Companies               Seda, acquired a Scania truck, custom-           real time at point of testing using                                                                                                          According to CEO of AFSQ, Louis
Act in 2007. The organization has                  build a 20-metre agriculture laboratory          digitized testing equipment for the                                                                                                     Visagie, there has been very limited
diversified from merely a training                 with training facilities and high-tech           agricultural sector.                                                                                                                    co-operation from industry on
providing institution to become a “One             electronic equipment to provide services              Fixed laboratory facilities that provide                                                                                           information requests for production
Stop Centre” for Small and Medium                  to rural areas in 2013. The Mobile Lab           analytical services, are expensive,                                                                                                     volumes. This information was required
Entrepreneurs (SME’s) in the Agricultural          is also fitted with a training room which        geographically distant from the rural                                                                                                   to determine a statistical accurate
Sector. MASDT provides a comprehensive             is utilised in training emerging farmer          communities, who are MASDT’s clients                                                                                                    sampling matrix and costing model. (both
and integrated range of support services           groups and even remote rural youth in            and have long turn-around times -                                                                                                       are available for review and comment).
in agriculture to emerging farmers                 introducing agriculture science to them.         particularly if samples must be posted                                                                                                  The lack of collaboration in industry is
located in often remote rural areas.               Commercial farming in South Africa, as           or couriered. By having a mobile facility                                                                                               a concern as this may be our downfall
MASDT aims to develop emerging                     in any other country in the world, is a          (firstly in Mpumalanga), MASDT can
                                                                                                                                                     The Agricultural Products Standards Act, Act 119 of 1990, regulates                    going forward. (We are not willing to share
farmers over a three year incubation               precise discipline that involves the             bring the appropriate technology to              the quality and composition of many agricultural products for our                      positive Listeria monocytogenes results
period to the point where they can                 management of a wide range of variables          the field where it is needed most. In                                                                                                   either which could help identify outbreaks
sustainably generate both income and               both physical, such as natural resources,        essence therefore the Mobile Laboratory          benefit as South African consumers.                                                    and save lives – but that is the subject of
employment from their agricultural                 as well as the socio-economic, such              complements the already existing                                                                                                        another article).

                                                                                                                                                    O
businesses. MASDT brings the training as           as market volatility and consumer                services of MASDT (Business support,                     n 4 April 2020, Regulation          Regulated Animal Products etc and has           For more information and to register
well as Incubation support services to the         preferences. By having a mobile                  agricultural planning, skills development,               R1283 of 2019, REGULATIONS          been inspecting poultry meat and eggs to   your company for mandatory inspection
farm gates. And a mobile lab is essential          laboratory facility that can assist              mentorship, mechanization support and                    REGARDING THE CLASSIFICATION,       date, as well as any other meat and meat   please refer to
to this process.”                                  emerging farmers understand their                supply of agricultural inputs).                 PACKING AND MARKING OF PROCESSED             products for which regulations may be      www.afsq.co.za/#standards
                                                   natural resource base, soil and water,                MASDT is therefore excited about           MEAT PRODUCTS INTENDED FOR SALE              promulgated.
Why the rural farming sector?                      as well as food safety and traceability,         the collaboration with the CSIR and both        IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, will             With this recent addition to AFSQ’s
“I grew up in the rural parts of the               their risk of failure is reduced, and new        institutions will welcome any contribution      come into effect. The processed meat         scope of inspection, they presented
Northern Cape Province where my                    opportunities unlocked.”                         to this stimulating new project.”               industry has been subjected to increasing    a series of processed meat products
                                                                                                         There is so much scope for this kind       regulation after the 2018 Listeriosis        workshops around the country to engage
                                                                                                    of project perhaps not at this monstrous        outbreak but this regulation seeks to        with industry on various aspects of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             AFSQ (The Agency for Food Safety
                                                                                                    size, but it is inspiring to think of what      regulate the quality aspects and NOT food    regulation including:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             and Quality) was forced to cancel
                                                                                                    could be possible in such “Blue sky”            safety. The Act requires the inspection,     1. Inspection Methodology                   their Processed Meat Products
                                                                                                    initiatives                                     grading and sampling of products.            2. Inspection Regularity                    Workshop scheduled for the
                                                                                                         According to Dr. Naicker, the              These inspections have been carried out      3. Inspection Fees (Proposed Budget)        25 March 2020 due to the COVID19
                                                                                                    timelines for this project are three years      by designated third parties known as         4. Sampling                                 Outbreak. AFSQ advised that they
                                                                                                    for the prototype optimisation and              assignees, on behalf of the Department       5. Non-Compliance / Action Against          would make the presentation and
                                                                                                    accreditation for testing for identified        of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural           Offenders                                all relevant documentation publicly
                                                                                                    markets, pending securing of funding.           Development. AFSQ is a service provider           Given the recent “Bacon and            available since the implementation
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             date for the R1283 regulation
                                                                                                                                                    of the Food Safety Agency (Pty) Ltd, which   porridge” media reports alleging
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             remains
                                                                                                                                                    has been designated as an Assignee for       processed meat products on our

                                                                                                The feasibility of the mobile lab concept
                                                                                                and stakeholder workshop was supported/
                                                                                                funded by the DSI.

                                                                                                For more information or involvement in
                                                                                                the project or MASDT as an NPC, please
                                                                                                send an email to:
                                                                                                info@masdt.co.za or Dr.Dharmarai Naicker
                                                                                                DrNaicker@csir.co.za

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THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
CFS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    CFS
                                                                                                                                      FUTURE TRENDS AND FOOD SAFETY

COLLABORATION FOR
                                                                                                                                      Prof Stephen Forsythe, Retired Professor        H2S-), Esch. coli O104 & O55:H7, Esch.           This leads to confusion, panic and fear
                                                                                                                                      of Microbiology at Nottingham Trent             Albertii, Cronobacter and Arcobacter.            about food safety – something we have
                                                                                                                                      University, started the ball rolling.           The global problem of antimicrobial              witnessed ourselves in the light of polony
                                                                                                                                      Although requested to speak about               resistance is not going away. New                and pilchard recalls. In the future, we will

FOOD SAFETY –
                                                                                                                                      future trends in food safety, he                analytical techniques such as Core               need to communicate clearly on food
                                                                                                                                      highlighted that the future trends in           genome-MLST, SNP, CRISPR-cas arrays,             safety issues and redouble our efforts to
                                                                                                                                      food supply and consumption will direct         Microbiomes and metagenomics will                educate the consumer on their role in
                                                                                                                                      our food safety efforts. In the ten years       change the way we investigate outbreaks.         food safety.
                INSTITUTIONS FOR
HAPPY FIRST
                                                                                                                                      from 2008 to 2018, there have been                   The future of microbiological testing           An aging exploding population is
                                                                                                                                      8914 reported food safety incident/             is fast. We are moving into the minute           already putting pressure on our food
                                                                                             FOOD SAFETY                              recalls worldwide. Although the leading         zone.                                            sources and trends in alternative food
                                                                                                                                      cause remains allergens, biological                  Prof. Forsythe eloquently reminded          sources will stretch our food safety

BIRTHDAY
                                                                                             Dr Isabelle Des Forges outlined          hazards are not far behind. According to        us that most consumers are now armed             management systems. The consumer
                                                                                             the importance of the use of             CDC data, the USA has 4 outbreaks per           with a smart phone – although this               pressure for less processed foods in
                                                                                             standardized methods in the process      day of foodborne illness. Although the          does not necessarily make us smarter,            their diet along with climate change are
                                                                                             of evidence based decision making.       usual well researched bacterial culprits        it gives the average consumer access to          the factors that we will need to respond
                                                                                             The role of the ISO traditional          are responsible, future trends should           information about the safety of their food       to as food safety professionals – and we
By LINDA JACKSON, Director of Food Focus                                                     methods, validation and verification     be considered such as Salmonella (mp,           – some real news and a lot of fake news.         need to start now.
                                                                                             are critical to our assessment of
                                                                                             food safety and this must form            METHOD                                CONVENTIONAL             ONLINE TIME                          UNKNOWN ISOLATE
                                                                                             the backbone even as novel and                                                 LABORATORY TIME              (MIN)
                                                                                             rapid methods are on the increase.
                                                                                                                                       Identification                             3 days                    2                               Salmonella enterica
                                                                                             Professor Wilhelm Holtszapfel,
                                                                                             the President of the International        Serotyping                                 3 days                    3                                      4:i:1,2
                                                                                             commission of food microbiology
                                                                                             and hygiene closed the afternoon’s        Multilocus sequence typing                 3 days                    8                                      ST-19
                                                                                             proceedings by encouraging                Antibiogram                                2 days                    3                                       None
                                                                                             students to join the international
                                                                                             community of food microbiologists         Virulence traits                         3 weeks                     12                                      Lots !
                                                                                             in the challenge of keeping our food      Plasmids                                   2 days                    2                                       None
                                                                                             supply safe.
                                                                                                                                      http://www.genomicepidemiology.org/

                                                                                               EVIDENCE                               post Listeriosis requirements), cases of        need capacity building and participation           Listeria procedures
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         in EU since 2005
                                                                                               BASED DECISION
                                                                                                                                      Listeria monocytogenes contamination in         in research projects. The food industry
                                                                                                                                      food are increasing.                            should adopt pro-active behaviours using           1. Awareness
                                                                                               MAKING IN FOOD                             My final word – you should have
                                                                                                                                      been there!
                                                                                                                                                                                      information from trend analysis, root-
                                                                                                                                                                                      cause analysis of recurring non-compliant
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Training
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         2. Preventive measures :

The Centre for Food Safety hosted its first workshop entitled                                  SAFETY                                 Although this is a long list of
                                                                                                                                      requirements, the need for knowledge
                                                                                                                                                                                      test results rather than reacting to an
                                                                                                                                                                                      outbreak when it happens. We need
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        		 hygiene – GMP
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        		 Infrastructure: design &
                                                                                               Professor Mieke Uyttendaele            and analysis of data collected if essential     Sector-wide and cross-sector sharing of           		 maintenance
‘The Science of Food Safety’ this February. Although a little                                                                         to make evidence based decisions to take        knowledge or technologies which does
                                                                                               from the Food Microbiology and                                                                                                           		 Cleaning & disinfection
belated, this was a fitting first birthday celebration considering                             Food Preservation research group       Listeria control to the next level. Each of     require transparency and networking. We           		 Cold chain
                                                                                               (FMFP-UGent) at Ghent University,      the controls listed should be carefully         can no longer rely on a “one-size-fits-all”        3. HACCP
the international scientific advisory board members of the CFS                                 Belgium was up next. She also          analysed, validated and challenged to           approach to labelling but this should be          		 Inactivation step ? Kill ?
                                                                                               emphasisied that society and their     ensure that we truly KNOW what our              supported by tailored ‘food information’          		 Decontamination ?
gave guest lectures on food safety topics.                                                                                            controls are an more importantly are            to ‘consumer’ and ‘susceptible groups”.
                                                                                               food preferences are changing, but                                                                                                       		 Reduce ?
                                                                                               Micro-organisms (opportunistic)        NOT doing to the safety of our products.        We need public discussion on the                  		 Product formulation &

A
      ll that was missing was the                  acclaimed scientists who have               Pathogens with (virulence) genes       A strong positive Food safety culture is a      definition of ALARA As Low As Reasonably          		 shelf life ?
      birthday cake and a candle                   devoted their careers and lives, in         ARE EVERYWHERE. Ensuring Food          fundamental requirement to ensure that          Achievable,”or ‘acceptable/tolerable’             		 Inhibit ?
      although the wheel chair                     fact, to ensuring food is safe for our      safety and Food security and human     the controls we say we have are actually        risk for foodborne hazards - within                4. Sampling & testing
accessory sported by Prof. Gouws made              consumption. It was indeed an honour        well-being will require Multiple-      practiced - every day, even when no one         the framework of sustainable, healthy,            		 Environmental testing
up for this omission.                              to sit in the lecture hall as a student     criteria decision-making (MCDM).       is auditing us.                                 convenience, accessible foods & food              		 End product control
                                                   and soak up the very latest information         The European situation analysis        Food safety should be seen as a             supply chain. As food scientists and food          5. Risk communication
International inspiration                          on food microbiology and food safety        shows that despite robust regulation   long term investment for business, the          safety professionals, we still have a lot of      		 (Shelf life) label ?
It is not often that one gets to listen to         implications from around the globe.         (more stringent than even our new      sector and even authorities. For this we        work to do.
a whole afternoon of the “greats”. Great               Here is a summary of the great
food microbiologists - internationally             topics shared with us.

14   | MARCH 2020   |   FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER                                                       www.fbreporter.co.za           www.fbreporter.co.za                                                                           FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   15
THE WORKPLACE POSTER (PULLOUT) - MARCH 2020
HOW TO MANAGE THE RISK OF COVID-19 IN YOUR WORKPLACE
         And remember - do these things at home too and encourage others to do the same

                                    HANDWASHING                                                 FEELING SICK
                                    This is the most effective weapon
                                                                                                AT WORK
                                    we have against any infection.                              If you start running a fever, or showing
                                    Do it with soap and water for at                            any of the COVID19 symptoms,
                                    least 20 seconds.                                           please report this to your supervisor
                                                                                                immediately. Do not just carry on
                                                                                                working, you could infect others.

               2m                   CONTACT AND                                                 SNEEZING/
                                    TOUCHING                                                    COUGHING
                                    Avoid touching, hugging or close contact with               Make sure to cough or sneeze into your
                                    people who are sick.                                        elbow or a tissue and throw the tissue in
                                    Keep 2 metres ( 6 feet) distance with all                   the trash afterwards.
                                    colleagues where possible.
                                                                                                Then wash or sanitize your hands before
                                    Do not shake hands with others.
                                                                                                 touching other surfaces.

                                    KEEP SURFACES                                               AVOID TOUCHING
                                    CLEAN                                                       YOUR FACE
                                    Surfaces must be cleaned and disinfected                    Be aware of what you are doing with your
                                    regularly, especially door handles,                         hands – focus on not touching your own
                                    taps, light switches, shared computers,                     eyes, ears, nose and inside of your mouth.
                                    phones, two way radios.
                                    Basically any surface that is touched by more
                                    than one person.

                                                                                    Brought to you by Food Focus in the interests of
For more information visit the NICD Website www.nicd.co.za                           public health and workplace health and safety
FOOD SAFETY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         FOOD SAFETY

                                                                                                                                                  indifferent. In fact, a culture of flexibility,   being only demand driven. Desperate                  There is no doubt that leaders sometimes
                                                                                                                                                  care and compassion has been shown                times may require leadership to waive                do and should expose themselves to risks
                                                                                                                                                  to be a strong determinant of positive            bottom-line profits for the sake of                  more so than staff. Taking the current
                                                                                                                                                  behaviour. To be compassionate                    staff and organizational well-being. For             Covid-19 as example, it may happen that
                                                                                                                                                  means being visible and involved, if not          example, should staff need additional                press releases be required where the
                                                                                                                                                  physically then mentally and virtually. The       resources to undergo testing, request                speakers are exposed to a large gathering
                                                                                                                                                  sharing of stories with staff, empathising        alternative transport, require key supplies,         with heightened risk of infection; does
                                                                                                                                                  during challenges and following up on             demand additional protection etc., these             the CEO delegate this function to his/
                                                                                                                                                  incidences are critical to bring staff to         should be as far as possible availed. In             her liaison officer while watching the

COVID-19 AND FOOD SAFETY CULTURE:
                                                                                                                                                  trust leadership and to put in extra              some cases, additional support staff                 broadcast on TV at home? Does it mean
                                                                                                                                                  effort towards a common goal. The role            may be appointed on temporary basis to               management in times of danger arrives
                                                                                                                                                  of effective communication via not only           deal with urgent matters, non-essential              at the office late, leaves early and rushes

How should leaders react?
                                                                                                                                                  formal organizational channels, but also          sections closed down or infrastructure re-           through the security gates without
                                                                                                                                                  informal exchange of news and updates             purposed. Staff may be allowed to work               opening their trunks like the rest of staff,
                                                                                                                                                  via social media is essential. Although           from home and meetings be replaced by                just because they are perceived as being
                                                                                                                                                  staff should, at all times be fully aware of      virtual engagement, without sacrificing              the boss? Does it mean that, when the
By PROFESSOR RYK LUES, Central University of Technology, Free State                                                                               the newest developments, resolutions              productivity.                                        organization faces some treacherous
                                                                                                                                                  and arrangements at the organization, a               It is important for leaders to cascade           economic times due to the Covid-19 and
“Extremis malis extrema remedia”: An extreme disease demands                                      lead confident and decisive, it is now.         simple, informal telephone call from one’s        the leadership stance during challenging             similar outbreaks, staff are let off and
                                                                                                  Confident and decisive management,              line manager enquiring about your well-           times to mid- and lower level managers               sections closed but the leadership still
an extreme cure. Apparently, this quote has been around from the                                  however, demands that leadership                being is immeasurable.                            and leaders, rather than only leading from           receive their annual bonuses?
                                                                                                  respects and observes the same                                                                    the top executive office. If lower level                 I truly hope not.
15th century and used widely in literature – an example being in
                                                                                                  strategies and interventions required by        Avail and optimise resources                      management echelons do not buy into
Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It’s interesting how compliance to process                                  staff on all levels of the organization. This   Being in a position to avail and allocate         the overarching organizational culture, it           www.foodsafetyculture.co.za
                                                                                                  means, proverbially: “Giving up your seat       resources (human, physical and financial)         is unlikely that staff will trust the process.
and system is our go-to remedy in times of manageable risk, but                                   in Business Class and joining your staff in     enables leaders to contribute significantly
                                                                                                  “Economy Class”.                                to staff well-being and security, provided        Be brave, positive and energetic
in times of desperation we opt to travel outside these boundaries
                                                                                                                                                  that such resources are allocated from a          Winston Churchill once proclaimed: A kite
because its warranted by “desperation”.                                                           Adapt and innovate                              perspective of compassion, rather than            soars highest against the wind, not with it.
                                                                                                  Charles Darwin’s well-known quote

I
   n such times radical discretion                 perceived to be originators/carriers,          that the best survivors in future will
   replaces blind compliance as a                  economic impacts, staff absence and            be those that are the most adaptable,
   stronger risk mitigation mechanism.             the like, are posing an equal or even          comes to fruition in situations like the
In a way the food safety culture narrative         bigger challenge.                              Covid-19 epidemic. Similar to Influenza
has been brought about also by                         So, can a positive organizational          and other viruses Covid-19 is claimed
desperation, because of the realization            culture contribute to resilience,              to have already mutated into an L and
that our existing compliance and                   effectiveness and lower risk in these          S subtype, and it is likely that beyond
regulatory systems are sometimes not               times, and how can leadership and              the current outbreak, the world will see
adequate to ensure food safety, but that           management of food organizations               further mutations of Corona and other
something “beyond” is required. Ironically,        steer their proverbial ships through           pathogens, similar to the MERS and SARS
without incidences such as Listeriosis and         these challenging times, in addition to        cases some years ago. It is interesting
Covid-19 nobody may have had to ask                the hygiene and social containment             that these most basic forms of life have
any “beyond” questions because it would            measures already implemented?                  learnt to rapidly adapt and change,
not have been necessary.                           Herewith are a number of suggestions           whereas humans are generally quite
    With the current Covid-19 outbreak,            and strategies to ponder on:                   resistant to change. Therefore, agility,
questions are being asked what we                                                                 adaptability and revisiting the manner
should do, or have done, beyond our                Lead by example                                in which we are doing business, running
operational, isolation and compliance              Literature and experience are abundantly       the farm to fork continuum, transport
measures to prevent the current scenario           clear that leadership remains the single       foods, serve customers and interact with
or to mitigate risk. From the perspective          most critical component of success in          technology will have to become priority.
of the food industry the technical-                any organization. To see one’s leaders         This also rings true for our legislation,
operational matters relating to food being         and mentors practicing what they preach,       QC systems, standards and the like.
a possible vector for viral transfer is only       remains one of the strongest motivational      Sticking to ways that are tried and tested
one aspect and fortunately foodstuffs              and behavioural drivers of mankind.            is commendable, but unfortunately in
appear, at least for the present, not to be        Conversely, absence of key leaderships         cases like Covid-19, nothing has been
one of the main culprits as opposed to             traits is the single most detrimental factor   tried nor tested.
droplet transfer from person-to-person.            impacting organizations. One thing is
However broader matters impacting the              thus for sure: If there was ever a time for    Be compassionate and involved
food industry, for example binge-buying            leaders and managers, at various levels        Strong and confident leadership
due to panic, abstinence from products             in organizations to come forward and           does not mean being rigid, strict and

18   | MARCH 2020   |   FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER                                                                www.fbreporter.co.za              www.fbreporter.co.za                                                                               FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   19
DARK KITCHEN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        DARK KITCHEN

COVID-19 KITCHENS GONE DARK                                                                                                                                                                                                                As you are aware, the Minister
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           of Tourism issued a notice to
A new business model for these challenging times                                                                                                                                                                                           the restaurant industry to close
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           down all restaurants, cafes,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           bars and coffee shops for the
When we highlighted the trend
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           duration of the lock down.
of dark kitchens in our Jan/Feb                                                                                                                                                                                                                This included all food
issue, little did we know how                                                                                                                                                                                                              delivery services during the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           lock down period to avoid the
soon it would hit our shores.                                                                                                                                                                                                              spread of the virus.
Veteran restaurateur Larry                                                                                                                                                                                                                     So The Dark Kitchen,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           along with all other food
Hodes, owner of Calexico at
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           establishments, large and
44 Stanley, Arbour Café and                                                                                                                                                                                                                small, are sitting abandoned
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           until lock down has been lifted.
Voodoo Lily opened The Dark
                                                                                                                                              brand out there. They are also looking        facing the business – and we asked what            For more information,
Kitchen in Johannesburg on                                                                                                                    at growing their fleet of motorbikes for      safety measures they are taking with           please visit The Restaurant
                                                                                                                                              deliveries, as the costs for the guests are   their staff in light of COVID19 and the        Association of South Africa
the 12th March, providing                                                                                                                     lower than if they use Uber Eats or MrD.      instructions from the Departments of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           (RASA) at www.restaurant.org.za
home diners with an innovative                                                                                                                    The COVID-19 pandemic has                 Labour and Health regarding the OHS
                                                                                                                                              obviously been the biggest challenge          regulations and COVID restrictions.
new offering.

T
      he quirky ghost restaurant, hidden
      somewhere in the northern
      suburbs, is only accessible online or
by phone – so don’t expect to be seated
and served! But with COVID-19 restricting
us to social isolation, perhaps this is the
way to go for the hard-hit restaurant
industry.
    Hodes has been involved in
restaurants for the last 35 years, from
working for various hospitality corporates
or owning franchised restaurants, to               concept has been so successful globally,         Although The Dark Kitchen
now owning independent restaurants.                “The value of a dark kitchen model is        launched a couple of weeks ago with
We asked him what made him decide to               in the elimination of customer seating       only pizza on the menu, the pandemic
“go dark” and introduce this concept into          and waiting areas – which are often          has changed the game. The virus has
South Africa?                                      underused or even simply vacant. It cuts     had a negative impact on the other
    “The concept of dark kitchens is               rental, decor costs, and the need for        restaurants Hodes owns, but not so
definitely taking the restaurant world by          serving staff. This reduces overheads,       with the The Dark Kitchen – it has in fact
storm overseas. I came across the dark             while at the same time catering to the       sped up their plans. They are launching
kitchen concept a couple of years ago in           increased consumer need for gourmet          Mediterranean, Mexican, café style and
Australia and the UK and saw what they             home delivery options.”                      take-home meals in the next week as
were doing.” Says Hodes. “Approximately                “The model also allows the flexibility   most people will be self-isolating at home,
6 months ago I started working on the              to change menus quickly and easily.          so food delivery is going to become
concept and launched it a couple of                Many traditional restaurants pop up in       even bigger in the next couple of weeks.
weeks ago. It is very much in its infancy in       response to changing tastes and trends,      Since Hodes owns other restaurants and
SA and whether we had Covid-19 or not,             leaving them vulnerable when new food        kitchens he is able to incorporate their
it would still become the next “disruptor”         fads roll into town. The concept of cloud    offerings into The Dark Kitchen.
in the restaurant industry. Now that               kitchens is rising as the food delivery          As with every new business, The Dark
we are experiencing Covid-19, it is                market continues to expand. We’re at         Kitchen faces its fair share of obstacles.
undoubtedly going to speed up the dark             the dawn of a new restaurant era – an        Not having a shop front has proved to be
kitchen concept as a business in SA.”              era where a ‘dark kitchen’ will become a     a challenge and forced Hodes to identify
    Hodes explains why the ingenious               common term.” he says                        new and innovative ways of getting the

20   | MARCH 2020   |   FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER                                                             www.fbreporter.co.za             www.fbreporter.co.za                                                                    FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   21
DARK KITCHEN                                                                                                                                                                                                                            FOOD SAFETY

    In addition to our already rigorous              of cleaning and disinfecting our         retail sectors is this, “We have to be
standards of cleanliness, here are some              restaurant, with special attention to    bold and innovative to get ourselves
of the precautionary measures we are                 high-contact surfaces, such as chairs,   through this trying time. Yes, it is a
reinforcing and implementing across our              tables, menus, and condiments to         very difficult environment out there,
restaurant:                                          ensure our restaurants remain open       however out of difficulty, always comes
• We have mandated continued daily                   to serve you with the highest standard   opportunity. However, we need to focus
  staff training to review our health and            of cleanliness.                          on opportunity and not focus on the
  safety procedures.                               • No alcohol at prescribed times           difficulty of everything.”
• We are reinforcing with team                     • Completing registers of all guests
  members to be vigilant with frequent               attending our restaurants                You can discover The Dark Kitchen at
  and thorough handwashing before,                     The message that Hodes wants to        thedarkkitchen.co.za or call 010 900 3703
  continuously throughout and after                share with others in the hospitality and     @TheDarkKitchenJhb
  their shifts.
• All food handling staff wear masks
• All team members experiencing any
  flu-like symptoms must stay home.                  This blow has ripples all up the supply chain, with many fresh produce
  Managers are required to send home                 suppliers sitting with surplus stock that was destined for the hospitality
  any team members showing signs of                  market.
  flu-like symptoms and report any such                 Food Focus is currently trying to link suppliers with excess produce
  incidences.
                                                     with those who can take it off their hands. For more info on this, visit
• In addition, to these actions, in the case
  of the other eat-in restaurants Hodes              www.foodfocus.co.za/home/whats-hot/Corona-Virus/Supply-Chain-
  owns includes:                                     Surplus-Network
• We have increased the frequency
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              HIGH RISK CONSUMERS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              The relevancy of this topic is greater
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              than ever, given that the elderly fall
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              within the high-risk category for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              susceptibility to the COVID-19 virus.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  In addition to this, we have a high

                                                                                                                                          FOOD SAFETY FOR
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              percentage of immune-compromised
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              individuals in South Africa, and these
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              same measures will protect them.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Now, more than ever, food safety

                                                                                                                                          THE ELDERLY
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              is of the utmost importance. So do
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              the right things, and ensure your
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              food safety and your food safety
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              culture are on point.
                                                                                                                                          By JÚLIO GUIMARÃES AND NUNO F. SOARES

                                                                                                                                                                            A
                                                                                                                                          The aging adult population               ccording to United States                contaminated (e.g. discolored, moldy or
                                                                                                                                          is increasing in the United              Department of Agriculture (USDA)         with uncharacteristic odors).
                                                                                                                                                                                   foodborne illness represents a               The Center for Disease Control (CDC)
                                                                                                                                          States and worldwide. In          greater risk for the elderly for different      in the United States estimates that each
                                                                                                                                                                            reasons. As we age, our bodies are              year nine microbial pathogens cause
                                                                                                                                          2000, there was an estimated      less able to resist bacteria, including         3.5 million foodborne illness and over
                                                                                                                                                                            bacterium which cause food poisoning.           1,200 deaths. Of the nine pathogens,
                                                                                                                                          population of 35 million
                                                                                                                                                                            Many elderly adults live with chronic           Salmonella has the highest rate of
                                                                                                                                          seniors in the U.S. By 2030, it   conditions, such as diabetes and cancer,        infection for adults age 60 and older;
                                                                                                                                                                            and they consume medicine and are               Listeria is the pathogen most severe with
                                                                                                                                          is estimated that 71 million      administered chemotherapy which are             the highest number of deaths among the
                                                                                                                                                                            known to weaken the immune system.              same age group. According to European
                                                                                                                                          Americans and more than 1
                                                                                                                                                                            Also, stomach acid production decreases         Centre for Disease (ECDC), more than
                                                                                                                                          billion individuals worldwide     as people age, thereby reducing their           2,500 confirmed cases of Listeria and 220
                                                                                                                                                                            natural defense against ingested                deaths were reported in 2017. Raising
                                                                                                                                          who will be older than 65         bacteria. The sense of taste, vision and        awareness amongst of listeriosis and
                                                                                                                                                                            smell, affected by medication or illness,       risky food among the elderly where the
                                                                                                                                          years of age.
                                                                                                                                                                            may not detect when food is spoiled or          majority of cases occur is important,

22   | MARCH 2020   |   FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER                                                          www.fbreporter.co.za            www.fbreporter.co.za                                                           FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER   |   MARCH 2020   |   23
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