Bay businesses reminded to renew health certificates

The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has seen a decrease in applications to renew certificates or authorisations to ensure safe and legal operations in establishments across the city.

Renewal is mandatory for establishments such as supermarkets, butcheries, restaurants, vehicles transporting food, kitchens in schools, prisons, hospitals, day centres, old age homes, beauty salons and panel beating and spray painting facilities.

Public health political head Thsonono Buyeye said residents and businesses needed to comply with the various health authorisations covered by legislation.

“Health authorisations are issued for health compliance of premises including the business operations and in the absence of a health authorisation the human health risks of premises and surrounding environments cannot be determined,” he said.

“From the human occupancy point of view, the human health supportive aspects of premises will remain unknown in the absence of a health authorisation.”

He said the renewal of health authorisations was important for food safety, sustainable maintenance of health standards, curbing the threat of counterfeit foodstuffs and non-compliant food-handling premises.

Food handling includes manufacture, processing, production, packing and packaging, preparation, keeping, offering for sale, storage, transportation or display for sale or for serving of foodstuffs.

“Holders are required to check immediately if their authorisations are still valid.”

All certificates or authorisations must be renewed before the expiry date.