Promoting the improvement of dairy quality and safety

The following is a broad strategic approach - click here for the .pdf version

Introduction

The DSA follows a strategic approach, developed in 2010/2011, aimed at directing the DSA during the current and following (proposed) statutory levy periods. The approval of the strategic approach was the result of a comprehensive consultation process which was unanimously accepted by its members.

Based on this strategic approach, the DSA is progressively executing and maintaining its projects in line with its primary goal, which is to promote the improvement of dairy quality and safety in the interest of the industry and wellbeing of the consumer.

The strategic development relating to proactive and reactive approaches, which are covered by DSA project goal activities, assist the DSA to remain relevant and make valuable contributions especially in terms of the demanding and multi-dimensional tasks of the regulatory environment in which the DSA is, directly and indirectly, involved in.

The DSA acknowledges the importance of product compliance with product composition and food safety standards as a prerequisite for the growth of the dairy industry. This is due to the fact that substandard products reaching the retail can cause extensive and prolonged harm to both the industry and the consumer. The promotion of compliance with standards relating to milk and other dairy products, remains a demanding and multi-dimensional task, because of:

a) the involvement of regulations relating to product composition, food safety, animal health, animal feed, milking parlours, the transportation of milk, processing plants and storage;

b) the regulations referred to in (a) were issued in terms of five different laws and the enforcement of these laws is the responsibility of:

• Department of Health, Provincial Health Departments and Municipal Health Authorities
  in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972);
• Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) in terms of the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act 119 of 1990); the Animal Health Act, 1984 (Act 35 of 1984); and the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act, 1947 (Act 36 of 1947);
• National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) and the application of the relevant regulations in terms of the Legal Metrology Act, 2014 (Act 9 of 2014).

The DSA’s activities are determined by its mandate as documented in the company’s Memorandum of Incorporation, namely:

• Monitoring of milk and other dairy products;
• Communication with industry and other stakeholders;
• Support service to the dairy industry and other stakeholders.

The DSA since its inception has progressed as the organised dairy’s self-regulatory body to a well-recognised institution by the respective government bodies, the organised primary and secondary dairy industry and other stake holders, namely national consumer bodies and the retail sector on a national level.

In accordance with the above and within the framework of its current strategy, the DSA statutory and non-statutory project activities are considered well balanced to optimise the available resources as well as expand according to the needs of industry on the short and medium-term.