Abstract
Informal food trading as a sector, has been established for centuries and is considered an integral part of the historical and cultural heritage of numerous cities on a global scale. Similar to many other countries, informal food trading has gained popularity for several reasons in South Africa. This growing interest goes beyond the safety of the food sold, consumer perspectives and rather includes the role of regulatory authorities such as Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs). Such practitioners meant to ensure that informal food traders are inspected, trained and monitored in order to ensure the provision of safe and wholesome food to the public. However, the uniformity in the standard of inspection, certification, monitoring and statutory enforcement is questionable. Using a quantitative method, the research followed a descriptive design to assess the practices of EHPs inspecting informal food traders within the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM). Purposeful sampling was used for selecting the sample population of 54 EHPs who conduct informal food trader inspections within their area of jurisdiction. In addition, through simple random sampling, records review of 80 informal food trader files was done. Data was collected through a previously validated self-reported questionnaire and data collection checklist. The questionnaire was completed by EHPs and the researcher simultaneously completed the checklist for review purposes. The findings of the study indicated that there were gaps and challenges in the knowledge and practices of EHPs, particularly in the uniformity with which they execute their roles when inspecting informal food traders. The study also shows an existing record management system needing improvement. The value-add associated with the study is an indication of a need for upgraded knowledge management systems that include training, procedural standardisation and enhanced collaboration with other stakeholders for better inspection of informal food traders.
M.Tech. (Environmental Health)