MOTSOALEDI, MPISTER OFATE:
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
NO. 990  
 06 SEPTEMBER 20
16
990 F oodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants (54/1972): Regulations relating to maximum levels of metals in foodstuffs   40252
No.R .... GOVERNMENT NOTICE 
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 
2016 
FOODSTUFFS, COSMETICS AND DISINFECTANTS ACT, 1972 
(ACT NO. 54 OF 1972) 
REGULATIONS RELATING TO MAXIMUM LEVELS OF METALS IN FOODSTUFFS 
I, Dr A Motsoaledi, the Minister of Health intends, in terms of section 15(1) of the 
Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972), to make the 
Regulations in the Schedule. 
Interested persons are invited to submit, within three (3) months of the date of 
publication of this Notice, any comments or representations on the proposed 
Regulations, to the Director- General of Health, Private Bag X828, Pretoria, 0001 or by 
email to Tsiany@health.gov.za (for the attention of the Director: Food Control). 
EALTH 
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1. DefinitionsSCHEDULE 
In these Regulations a word or expression defined in the Act bears the meaning so 
assigned and, unless the context otherwise indicates-
"maximum level" means the highest acceptable level of a substance which is 
determined according to the edible content of the foodstuff, i,e. that part of the foodstuff 
that is normally consumed; 
"metal" includes any chemical form of that metal; and 
"the Act" means the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 
1972). 
2. General Provisions
(1) For the purpose of section 2(1)(b)(i) of the A ct, foodstuff listed in column II 
of Table 1 of Annexure A is hereby deemed to be contaminated, impure or decayed, or 
is deemed to be harmful or injurious to human health, if .it contains the metal in column I 
in amounts exceeding the corresponding level in column Ill when measured. 
(2) A person may not import, manufacture or sell a foodstuff with levels that 
exceed the maximum level of metals prescribed by this regulation, unless stipulated 
otherwise in the relevant Regulation. 
3. Repeal
(1) These Regulations repeal the following Regulations on the day that these 
Regulations come into operation: 
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(a) The Regulations Relating to Maximum Levels of Metals in Foodstuffs 
published under Government Notice No.R.500 of 30 April 2004, as amended 
by Government Notice No. R. 545 of 23 May 2008,and; 
(b) The Regulations Regarding Food and Water Vessels published under 
Government Notice No. 1575 of 10 September 1971. 
4.Commencement
(1) These Regulations shall come into operation three months after the date 
of publication of the final Regulations. 
3 total
Cadmium (Cd)
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ANNEXURE 
Table 1: Maximum levels for metals in foodstuffs 
Antimony(Sb) Natural mineral water 0.005 
Arsenic, 
(As-tot) Edible fats and Oil 0.1
Fat spreads and blended spreads 0.1 
Natural mineral water 0.01 
Salt, food grade 0.5 
Arsenic, 
lnorganic(As- Rice, polished 0.2 
in) 
Rice, husked 0.35 
Brassica vegetables 0.05 
Bulb vegetables 0.05 
Fruiting vegetables, cucurbits 0.05 
Leafy vegetables 0.2 
Root and tuber vegetables 0.1 
Stalk and stem vegetables 0.1 
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Legumes vegetables 0.1 
Cereal, Pulses and Legumes (Excluding wheat) 0.1
Wheat 0.2 
Rice, polished 0.4 
Marine bivalve molluscs 2.0 (Excluding oysters and scallops) 
Cephalopods (Without viscera) 2.0 
Natural mineral water 0.003 
Salt, food grade 0.5 
Lead (Pb) 
Cereal grains 0.2 
Pulses 0.2 
Brassica vegetables 0.1 
Leafy vegetables 0.3 
Legume vegetables 0.1 
Lead (Pb) Bulb vegetables 0.1 
Fruiting vegetables, cucurbits 0.05 
5 MaximumLevel(mg/kg) or(m911)::=;.
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Lead (Pb) Fruiting vegetables, other than cucurbits (Excluding fungi, 
mushrooms and sweet corn) 
Fungi, mushrooms and sweet corn 
Root and tuber vegetables 
Berries and other small fruits 
(Excluding cranberry, currant and elderberry) 
Cranberry, currant and elderberry 
Fruits, except berries and other small fruits 
Canned fruit cocktail 
Canned tropical fruit salad 
Canned grape fruit 
Canned mandarin oranges 
Canned mangoes 
Canned pineapple 
Canned raspberries 
Canned strawberries 
Jams (fruit preserves) and jellies 
6 0.05 
0.1 
0.1 
0.1
0.2 
0. 1
0.1 
0.1 
0.1 
0.1 
0.1 
0.1 
0.1 
1.0 
1.0 Canned vegetables
legume vegetables)
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Mango chutney 
Preserved tomatoes 
Table olives 
Pickled cucumbers 
Processed tomato concentrates 
(Excluding canned brassica, canned leafy vegetables and 
canned 
Canned brassica, canned leafy vegetables and canned 
legume vegetables 
Canned asparagus 
Canned carrots 
Canned green beans and canned wax beans 
Canned mushrooms 
Canned green peas 
Canned mature processed peas 
Canned palmito 
Canned sweet corn 
7 1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
1.5 
0.1 
1.0 
0.1 
0.1 
1.0 
0.1 
1.0 
0.1 
0.1 
0.1 Fruit juices,
juices)
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Canned Brassica vegetables 
Canned Leafy vegetables 
Canned Legume vegetables 
nectars and ready-to-drink juices (Excluding 
juices and nectars from berries and small fruits and passion fruit 
Passion fruit juices, juices and nectars from berries and 
small fruits 
Canned chestnuts and canned chestnuts puree 
Meat of cattle, pigs and sheep 
Meat and fat of poultry 
Cattle, Edible offal of 
Pig, Edible offal of 
Poultry, Edible offal of 
Fish (Whole commodity, in general after removing the digestive 
tract) 
Edible fats and oils 
Fat spreads and blended spreads 
Natural mineral waters 1.0 
1.0 
1.0 
0.03 
0.05 
1.0 
0.1 
0.1 
0.5 
0.5 
0.5 
0.3 
0.1 
0.1 
0.01 ity).ula, formo
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Mercury (Hg) 
Methylmercury 
Tin (Sn) Milk 
Secondary milk products 
Infant formula, formula for special medical purposes 
intended for infants and follow-up formula ( whole 
com mod 
Infant form Ia for special medical purposes 
intended for infants and follow-up formula (in the ready-to­
use product) 
Salt, food grade 
Wine 
Natural mineral waters 
Salt, food grade 
Fish (Except predatory fish) 
Predatory fish (Such as shark, swordfish, tuna and pike) 
Canned beverages 
Canned foods (Other than beverages) 
All uncanned meat and meat products 
9 0.02 
0.02 
0.01 
0.02 
2.0 
0.2 
0.001 
0.1 
0.5 
1.0 
150 
250 
50