Nrcs - Departments - Food & Associated Industries

FAI is the competent authority for the issue of Export Health Guarantees for fishery products in South Africa and monitors all imports and exports of regulated products. It applies world best practice and standards to inspections to ensure that South African products are accepted internationally.

The inspection system is based on monitoring and surveillance of factories, processes and products. In order to demonstrate the credibility of inspection results and to verify the competence of the inspection system, FAI is accredited to SANS ISO 17020 General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of Bodies Performing Inspection by SANAS (http://www.sanas.co.za/) , the South African National Accreditation System. SANAS is signatory to international multi-party agreements with ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation) and IAF (International Accreditation Forum) and FAI accreditation is recognised internationally.

FAI is recognised by EU authorities as the competent authority for the inspection and issue of health guarantees for fish and fishery products destined for Europe, and is regularly audited by EU experts to ensure that fishing, production and inspections meet EU requirements and provide ALOP.
FAI participates in international activities especially those of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. As South Africa is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) food regulatory authorities are obliged to ensure compliance with the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreements. FAI has entered into bilateral international technical co-operation agreements and the inspectorate is continuously bench marked against other national and international inspection systems.