The inspection system of the Food & Associated Industries Department (FAI) is based on monitoring and surveillance of factories, processes and products.

FAI also conducts market surveillance inspections and participates actively in the Border enforcement activities of the NRCS.

FAI assists role players to comply with local and international requirements, and is recognized by Authorities in various countries, such as China, Russia and the EU, as the competent authority for the inspection and issue of health guarantees of fish or fishery products destined for Europe.

FAI is an internationally accredited inspection body and fully complies with SANS/ISO 17020 General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of Bodies Performing Inspection. It has a panel of highly trained and technically competent inspectors, some of whom are expert members of international food inspection bodies.

FAI works in close co-operation with other regulators of food safety and inspectors are authorized to carry out inspections on behalf of the Department of Health in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act. FAI participates actively in national and international food safety activities including those of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This is necessary because South Africa is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and South African food regulatory authorities are obliged to ensure compliance with the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreements.
The department has entered into a number of international technical co-operation agreements and inspection standards are continuously bench marked against other national and international inspection systems and world best practice.

FAI is responsible for the processing and sampling of aqua-culture products in co-operation with other Government roleplayers, hence supporting the Ocean Economy as iterated in the Operation Phakisa.