Health And Hygiene Issues Faced By South Africa’s Fast Food Industry
There are many controversial issues that are currently being faced by South Africa’s fast food industry, most notably several health and hygiene issues that have plagued the likes of KFC and other big fast food companies in South Africa. Examples of this are the recent listeriosis outbreak in South Africa which plagued the likes of Tiger Brands, who distribute their products to big name fast food companies in South Africa. This has resulted in consumers being more aware of what they eat which could have a negative impact to some extent on these fast food brands. Further examples include; a KFC store in Braamfontein closed until further notice after videos emerged of staff washing chicken pieces on the concrete floor at the KFC premises. Studies have also found that South Africa’s fast food for kids is among the unhealthiest in the world. KFC South Africa’s kid’s chicken burger has one of the highest salt contents in the world, it contains 2. 91 grams of salt in a single meal, which is over half the daily recommended salt intake for an adult. According to Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London, the more salt ingested when young, the more likely children will grow up to have serious health issues later in life.
Recently an independent BBC researcher found faecal bacteria in ice in some of the KFC outlets. A KFC store in Braamfontein closed until further notice after videos emerged of staff washing chicken pieces on the concrete floor at the KFC premises. These health and hygiene scandals have affected South Africa’s fast food industry greatly especially as people are becoming more aware of what they eat and especially as they don’t want to eat food which they can’t trust. This has however provided an opportunity for the likes of Kauai as they are seen as a healthier option to the likes of KFC and McDonald’s to name a few. This growth has been seen in that Kauai was named franchiser of the year in South Africa for 2018, since its establishment in 1996, the brand has grown to more than 160 Kauai stores in South Africa and internationally. There is a very good reason why South Africans should be aware of the food they eat, as recent research task has found that South Africa is one of the most overweight countries in Africa.
According to the latest statistics conducted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Statistics South Africa, and the Department of Health, not only are 82% of all South African women over the age of 45 overweight or obese, but men are not very far behind. In fact, 40% of all men over the age of 35 are on the verge of obesity. “South Africa currently has the highest obesity rate in sub-Saharan Africa. ” Thus, the fast food industry has to try and adapt their menus to the needs of South African people by offering a “healthier” option for customers. What is also shocking is the amount of chemicals that are pumped into meat that we consume every day and especially in fast food such as Chlorine, Ammonia, Carbon Monoxide, and antibiotics to name a few. These chemicals have a negative effect on people, it also been found that these chemicals in our foods are lowering the age at which children hit puberty. However, the South African fast food industry will continue to grow as the majority of the country are poor and so they will opt for an unhealthy fast food meal as it is sold at a relatively low price. For the majority of South Africans, eating something unhealthy is the least of their worries as they have to deal with numerous other stressors in their lives.
Analysis of Articles
According to an article found in IOL a KFC Braamfontein recently closed after videos emerged of staff cleaning chicken on the concrete floor in the KFC’s premises with a hosepipe. A Facebook user posted images of what appeared to be KFC staff in Braamfontein allegedly taking chicken pieces out of containers, placing them on a concrete floor and hosing them down. In one image, blood and water can be seen streaming across the floor and so this incident was a very serious issue which could damage the reputation of KFC in South Africa especially as people are becoming more aware of what they eat and so will in turn look for a supplier which is a healthier and more hygienic. With this in mind the businesses within the fast food industry need to respond to these controversial issues in order to maintain a competitive advantage and ensure consumers still trust that their food is safe to eat and that it has been handled with care.
I personally believe that these controversial issues are hampering the reputations of these fast food companies and that I am personally becoming more aware of what I eat and try and limit the fast food that I consume. When I do choose to eat fast food, I look to eat something ‘healthier’ from the likes of Nando’s which I perceive to be healthier then KFC or McDonalds etc. This has seen a shift in the way fast food brands now market their products and adding things such as salads to their menus to name a few. The thing which I find hard to believe in this IOL article is that the KFC Africa managing director Doug Smart said that the chicken wasn’t going to be served in the store and that the store had developed a practice of collecting stock that is never going to be sold in the freezer and that the chicken had to be thawed. However, I’m extremely sceptical of this and so I can no longer trust this KFC store in Braamfontein and so I’ll never buy food from there. Doug ultimately conceded that protocol had been breached and so the store was closed until further notice which I believe was the best possible action that could’ve been taken.
Another article found in Health 24 claims that that traces of faeces and semen were found in Wimpy and Spur food, these controversial statements were made by Smanga Mphephetse Ndukuzabafo who is allegedly known for making controversial posts on social media in order to go viral and so its hard to fully acknowledge this source. The way in which both Wimpy and Spur reacted to these claims I believe were handled well and Spur even threatened to pursue legal action which shows that they are serious of this person damaging their reputation which I believe is a positive thing for the business/industry and consumer. These claims are also hard to believe as it’s hard to go unnoticed by other employees who would see these staff attempting to contaminate the food with the faeces or semen. This shows why when franchising managing control of products within the business is imperative in maintain a strong franchise and they also need to be a good general manager for each store or the franchise as a whole.
The businesses purchasing, financial, production and other 5 business functions are integral to the success of the franchise and some of these can be overseen by the general manager. These two issues relate to control within a business and more so to hygiene which is very important in controlling in order to avoid any controversial issues. These controversial issues may have serious consequences on these fast food companies and may lead to a decrease in sales. However, with these controversial issues and the fact that people are becoming more aware of what they eat one would expect the sales in the fast food industry in South Africa to be decreasing however this isn’t the case. According to an article in News 24 the fast food franchises are on the rise in South Africa which contradicts the idea that they are doing worse however it can be said without a doubt that if they were less controversial issues in South Africa’s fast food industry the growth/sales would possibly be even higher. According to this article there are four reasons as to why the fast food industry in South Africa is on the rise;
- they are offering healthy food such as Kauai.
- they are delivering their food at speed, this is vital in the fast food industry where people are constantly on the move and need quick delivery/service. I believe this is one of the most important aspects in the fast food industry in order to be successful and satisfy the consumer.
- Free delivery.
- Month end peaks are becoming a norm whereby people take their families to these fast food restaurants after receiving their salary for the month.
Another reason I believe South Africa’s fast food industry will continue to grow despite the controversial hygiene issues is that the majority of South Africa’s population is working class but also quite poor. These two factors mean that they may not have time to cook a meal every night for themselves/family and so they instead eat fast food as they don’t have to cook and clean up after a long working day.
People can also get a meal for a relatively cheap price, and it may even be cheaper to get fast food then cook themselves a meal at home. For instance, a large Big Mac meal is R51. Therefore, the hygiene issues are less of problem for these types of people compared to other wealthy South Africans. So, for some South Africans the level of importance of hygiene on their list of worries differs greatly but one common thing is that no one however desperate they are will eat a burger that has faeces or anything that is contaminated and especially pay for it. Therefore, it is still extremely important to limit these issues.
It can also be said that the hygiene when preparing the food shouldn’t only be the concern of the consumer but also, they should be concerned about the chemicals that are pumped into the animals which they consume. The side effects of this are cancer and even premature puberty which are serious risks to people’s health in society. Overall it can be said that for people their main concerns when it comes to fast food is that they are eating something slightly healthier than before and the product is hygienic and been handled with care. Taking this into consideration businesses within the fast food industry need to look at how they will market their products to the consumer. They will need to look at the packaging of the goods and should ensure it is environmentally friendly such as issuing the new biodegradable straws, the price of their products and the place at which they will sell their goods.
Finally, it is important that South Africans become more aware of what they eat as South Africa’s population is one of the most overweight in Africa and by eating fast food this doesn’t help the cause. Studies have also found that South Africa’s fast food for kids is among the unhealthiest in the world. KFC South Africa’s kid’s chicken burger has one of the highest salt contents in the world, it contains 2. 91 grams of salt in a single meal, which is over half the daily recommended salt intake for an adult. According to Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London, the more salt ingested when young, the more likely children will grow up to have serious health issues later on in life. This high intake of salt can lead to high blood pressure, increased risk of a stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. Thus, it is important to limit the amount of salt and fast food eaten in order to remain healthy.
The study also found that these meals had at times five times more salt in them when compared to the same meals sold overseas which is a serious issue in terms of control and ensuring that all the products are the same. On top of this the food is even more unhealthy in South Africa then it should be. The World Health Organisation recommends that adults eat less than 5g of salt (a teaspoon) a day. However according to the Heart Foundation in South Africa, experts estimate that salt intake by some South Africans could be as high as 40g of salt a day, this is a staggering 8 times above the recommended salt intake per day for an adult. This large amount of salt intake is partly down to the fact that the majority of South Africans are poor and so they eat unhealthy food which are filled with preservatives. When compared to a carb conscious protein meal sold at Kauai which includes; a chicken breast, lemon caesar dressing (contains free range egg), steamed broccoli, and side salad with parmesan shavings. This meal contains 0. 57 grams of salt. however, a butta chicken curry at Kauai costs R102 and this is even before you’ve bought a drink. For the majority of South Africa’s population this isn’t feasible or cheap enough.
Overall it can be said that there are many issues that are being faced by South Africa’s fast food industry above and beyond the health and hygiene issues. However, these fast food brands need to start taking the initiative to supply healthier meals to South Africans.
