In commemoration of World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2026, the Department of Environmental Health launched a targeted awareness campaign to elevate food safety standards among local food handlers and informal traders operating around the campus. Centred around the global theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,” the initiative addresses critical public health vulnerabilities by translating institutional knowledge into practical community safeguards.
The campaign arrives at a crucial time for public health awareness. Dr Mphou Manyatsa, a Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Health, noted that food safety remains a persistent concern across both formal and informal food sectors in South Africa. “These food safety concerns resulted from food poisoning cases in 2025 and the Listeriosis outbreak in 2017/18,” Dr Manyatsa explained. “According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances causes more than 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses globally each year.”
To address these challenges, Dr Manyatsa and departmental colleague Dr Trishka Pillay have spearheaded the Informal Traders Food Safety Project. This officially registered community engagement initiative has formed a strategic partnership with two key municipal branches, the eThekwini Municipality Environmental Health Department and the eThekwini Municipality Small Business Support Department. Together, these entities are working to build sustainable operational capacity among local traders through targeted training sessions and structural support initiatives.
Beyond immediate community outreach, the project doubles as a practical training ground for MUT students, embedding crucial regulatory and technical skills into the undergraduate curriculum. The second year BSc Environmental Health Students, who received specialised training in advanced pest control methods, and the third year BSc Environmental Health Students, who completed rigorous training focused on national food safety regulations and compliance.
The Department of Environmental Health emphasises that food safety is a shared responsibility. Staff and students are strongly encouraged to actively support this initiative by auditing their own buying habits and practising strict daily hygiene. The department advises the campus community to purchase meals exclusively from approved, certified sources, verify that food is stored in clean environments, and maintain personal hygiene standards, such as frequent handwashing and utilising sanitised utensils.