Since mid-2024 the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has run compliance inspections to take unsafe and expired goods off South African shelves. The first operations, in the Capricorn District of Limpopo in July 2024, found products past their sell-by, use-by or best-before dates, and some retailers selling expired goods at a discount. Baby food, sweets, soft drinks, noodles, snacks, canned goods and juices were seized.
In July 2025 the NCC went further and issued compliance notices to 45 suppliers after nationwide inspections found expired dairy, meat, maize meal, eggs, snacks, biscuits and noodles, and products with no date at all.
What the law requires
- Section 55 of the Consumer Protection Act gives every consumer the right to safe, good-quality goods.
- Section 24, read with regulation 6, sets labelling requirements – including date marking.
- Section 23(3) requires prices to be shown on or next to goods.
A supplier that ignores a compliance notice can be referred to the National Consumer Tribunal, which can impose an administrative fine of up to R1 million or 10% of annual turnover.
Why oversight alone will not fix it
Official inspection capacity is thin. In July 2026 a Public Protector investigation reported that Gauteng has only about 30% of the environmental health inspectors it needs, and only 28% of spaza shops are registered. Suppliers cannot rely on inspections to catch expired stock before a shopper does.
Five steps to protect your brand
- Check dates where shoppers buy. Put trained agents in stores to check shelves, fridges and back rooms on a fixed schedule.
- Act before the date. Flag short-dated stock at 30, 14 and 7 days so it can be promoted, moved or recovered.
- Remove and record. Pull expired stock on the spot, photograph it and log it with a reason code.
- Close the loop on returns. Approve return or disposal in writing so credits are claimed and nothing goes back on shelf.
- Prove it. Keep photo-backed reports by store and region – and use independent audits or certification so retailers and shoppers can see it.
082 Sales & Distribution does each of these through our expiry-date quality control, reverse logistics, independent audits and ShelfSafe certification.
Sources
- IOL – NCC takes action against 45 suppliers for selling expired food products (3 July 2025)
- BusinessTech – Commission sends a warning to food stores in South Africa (6 August 2024)
- EWN – Govt, municipal failures behind food safety crisis (20 July 2026)
This article is general information, not legal advice.