Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified service provider to conduct comprehensive food safety audits across all University of Johannesburg (UJ) food premises for a period of three years (2026 – 2028). The audits aim to ensure compliance with national standards, improve food safety practices, and uphold UJ’s commitment to health, safety, and quality standards.

Scope

The scope encompasses:

• Conducting three food safety audits annually at 48 food outlets across four campuses (Auckland Park, Doornfontein, Soweto, and off-site venues).
• Auditing various kitchen and food service units classified as small or medium-large, with specific sampling and microbiological testing requirements.
• Utilizing accredited food safety auditors to perform site visits, inspections, microbiological testing, and reporting.
• Developing and using standard checklists, reports, and risk scoring based on microbiological and hygiene standards.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, standards, and best practices, including accreditation from SANAS or equivalent bodies.

Technical Requirements

The technical requirements include:

• Auditors must be accredited by SANAS or equivalent, with specific accreditation from Foundation FSSC 22000.
• Audits must be conducted three times per year, with microbiological testing for TVC/TPC, Staphylococcus Aureus, Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli.
• Auditing at designated sites with sampling protocols, microbiological testing, microbiological alert reporting, and microbiological risk scoring.
• Use of approved checklists, reports, and adherence to ISO 19011 principles.
• Provision of comprehensive microbiological and hygiene reports, including risk scores, graphical representations, and recommendations.
• Compliance with all relevant legislation, standards, and accreditation requirements.

Skills Requirements

The skills and qualifications required for the tender include:

• Proven experience in conducting food safety audits, microbiological testing, and food premises inspections.
• Accreditation from SANAS or equivalent, with specific accreditation from Foundation FSSC 22000.
• Qualified food safety auditors with knowledge of national standards, microbiological testing, and food safety management systems.
• Ability to develop and implement audit checklists, interpret microbiological results, and prepare detailed reports with graphical data.
• Strong understanding of relevant legislation, accreditation standards, and best practices in food safety and hygiene.
• Effective communication skills for reporting, stakeholder engagement, and presenting microbiological findings.