South Africa Issues Draft National Standard on Food Donation

The South African Bureau of Standards published Sans 2088 on 17 April 2026. The document is South Africa's first national standard for food donation and redistribution and remains in draft form. Sans 2088 addresses uncertainty over what food is safe to donate, who carries responsibility along the supply chain, and what receiving organizations must do with donated items.

Food manufacturers have often destroyed surplus or imperfect stock rather than donate it because of that uncertainty and fear of legal liability. South Africa loses or wastes more than 10 million tonnes of largely edible food each year. Nearly half of that waste occurs at the processing and manufacturing stage.

5 percent of households are food-insecure, according to FoodForward SA. The standard clarifies that a 'best before' date is not the same as a 'use by' date. That distinction is one of the central points in the draft framework.

South Africa has committed to halving food waste by 2030. Sans 2088 is presented as the first national attempt to reduce waste by making donation the clearer and safer option for businesses.