South Africa • R638 Compliance

Stop guessing what an R638 inspector wants to see.

Free, SA-specific food safety checklist for restaurants, delis, butcheries, bakeries, and caterers. Built by operators who run an active FSMS every single day — not by consultants who just write about them.

Instant PDF • No credit card • Takes 30 seconds
R638 of 2018 referenced 13-point daily cleaning 11 training modules CoA prep checklist Recall procedure
Why another checklist?

Because generic "food safety templates" won't pass a South African inspection.

Most free checklists online are American HACCP templates. The Certificate of Acceptability inspector at your front door cares about Regulation R638 of 2018 — specific sections, specific definitions, specific wording. This checklist is built around that, by an FSMS that's survived multiple inspections.

1

Built from a live FSMS

Go Lucky runs its own Food Safety Management System in production — Certificate of Acceptability held, inspectors visited, complaints logged and resolved. This checklist is our working document, simplified for you.

2

SA-specific, not generic

Written around R638 Sections 3 through 13. References SANS 10049 where applicable. Uses Certificate of Acceptability language that inspectors actually use.

3

Operator — not consultant

We're not a consultancy selling retainers. We're a Cape Town food business that built this for ourselves and now licenses our system to peers. Different incentive structure.

Operated — not theorised

The system this checklist is extracted from runs every single day.

Go Lucky Free Range operates an active FSMS — digital cleaning logs, training acknowledgements, ambient temperature logging, batch traceability with QR codes on every crate, Certificate of Acceptability on file, and a customer complaint handling procedure. Inspected. Audited. Working document extracted from a running system, not theorised from a textbook.

R638
of 2018 referenced
Live
digital FSMS logs
24/7
digital traceability
100%
batch-traced
What's in the PDF

11 sections. SA-regulation-aligned. Actionable.

Download it, tick what you already do, flag what you don't. Use it as your working gap analysis before your next CoA renewal.

Next step

Download the checklist. Hit a gap you can't close alone?

Go Lucky offers FSMS consulting — we'll implement the system we already run, for your business. Walk through your premises, document processes, train staff, set up digital logs. Our app handles the day-to-day.

R3,500
FSMS Starter Consult
Premises audit + gap report
R750/mo
Go Lucky FSMS App
Digital cleaning, training, temps, traceability
R9,500
Full CoA Prep Package
Audit + documentation + inspection accompaniment
Book a discovery call →
Trusted Suppliers & Partners

Who Go Lucky uses to stay R638-compliant.

The PPE, food-safe chemicals, pest control contracts, testing labs and insurance cover that keep our FSMS operational. Shared in case they're useful for your operation too.

Disclosure: Some of these are affiliate links — if you sign up we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. We only list suppliers Go Lucky actively uses or has vetted for its own FSMS. Listings are not a substitute for your own supplier due diligence.
Extended Consultant Network

Need help faster than Go Lucky can schedule?

If we're fully booked or your premises is outside our operating region, we partner with a small network of vetted SA food safety consultants (REHPs and food technologists) who handle overflow. Same standards, same R638 framework.

Request a referral →
Coming soon

R638 Prep Course — learn the system at your own pace

A self-paced online course covering the 11 checklist sections with video walkthroughs, templates, and a practice inspection. Join the waitlist for early-bird pricing when it launches.

✓ You're on the list — we'll email when enrolment opens.
Early-bird pricing locked in for waitlist subscribers. Unsubscribe anytime.
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