The shortage of food-testing specialists in South Africa is challenging, as food and beverage analytical services providers have to train their own food testers to ensure that they meet the required standards and can thoroughly analyse the nutritional elements of all food products, research organisation the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) tells Engineering News.

CSIR food and beverage domain manager Michael Waldner says the curricula of South African institutions of higher education focus mostly on food manufacturing and processing, farming and other elements of food production, with little emphasis on food testing.

“Often, we find that new analysts need additional training to be specialists in food analysis, so we offer on-the-job training and it takes many years to get some of the analysts to be fully competent in food testing,” he adds.

“Moreover, food testing is a cost to food manufacturers and it is mainly conducted because legislation, such as the South African Food Labelling Regulations, or the R146 [regulations] of 2010, requires it.
“In the current economic climate of the weak rand and high production costs, there are a lot of cutbacks and most companies choose to cut back on testing expenditure,” Waldner explains.

The R146 regulations require that food manufacturers comply with labelling regulations and that claims made about a product on the label that is attached to a food product must be verified by a laboratory that is accredited by the South African National Accreditation System.

The regulation also requires that all labels clearly and accurately list all nutritional information and ingredients used in all food products before being made available for consumption.

Waldner says that government institutions have committed themselves to upskilling young developing scientists who are just starting their careers. The National Research Foundation (NRF) is one such institution.

The NRF offers bursaries to students working towards a career in various science- related disciplines. The foundation also provides internship programmes, which entails sending graduates in the fields of food manufacturing and related fields to food-testing institutions, such as the CSIR, for training in food testing.

CSIR Food Testing

The CSIR’s food and beverage unit, Consulting and Analytical Services (CAS), has laboratories in Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria. Waldner says the laboratories are equipped with sophisticated instruments and highly competent technicians in food and beverage analytical chemistry.

“In addition, the CAS food and beverage laboratory in Cape Town – established more than ten years ago – was the first laboratory in the country to obtain accreditation for all the methods required by the R146 legislation for food products and has expanded its client base into KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng,” Waldner explains.

The Cape Town laboratory is also the only accredited testing facility for marine biotoxins for the aquaculture industry in Southern Africa. Fish is tested for contaminants such as heavy metals and histamine, which is a regulatory requirement, in compliance with European Union standards – enforced by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specification – for the fishing industry to export its products and, thereby, promote international trade, says Waldner.

Further, the CAS laboratories participate in national and international proficiency testing schemes to increase quality-control accuracy and analytical performance, with all methods and measurements complying with international standards, he concludes.