Abstract
Enforcement of food safety regulations is the responsibility of municipalities with interest
growing not only in the nature of the regulations, but the process by which they are enforced
to ensure compliance. The municipality perform the enforcement function through the role of
Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) obliged to keep and manage records and evidence
of their actions. However the question on the role of EHPs remains moreover how they
compile and manage records and maintains evidence of their enforcement actions. The study
investigate the recording of non–compliance of food premises in the City of Johannesburg
Metropolitan Municipality (CoJ) by EHPs in terms of food safety regulations and examines
how evidence for enforcement action is recorded, managed and maintained. Quantitative data
were collected using a data collection form to review random sampled documented records of
non-compliant food premises from the seven regions of CoJ. The study showed that there are
similarities in the enforcement actions recorded by EHPs. The data indicate significant flaws
in the recorded information and poor construction and management of documented evidence
with lack of intervention from supervisory managers on the matter. The finding of the study
concludes a compliance process model used by CoJ. The record keeping and auditing system
is inefficient in the regulatory authority and is need of reform. Furthermore, there is a need to
train EHPs in health information systems.