The Dairy Standard Agency is the independent regulatory body for South Africa’s dairy industry, responsible for quality assurance, food safety standards, and industry compliance monitoring. DSA sets and enforces standards for dairy products from farm to retail.

Cold Chain Relevance: Dairy products are among the most temperature-sensitive items in the cold chain, with strict requirements that leave no margin for error. DSA standards specify that fresh milk must be cooled to below 5°C within two hours of milking and maintained at 0°C to +4°C throughout distribution. Yoghurt, cheese, butter, and cream each have specific temperature requirements that cold chain operators must understand and maintain. For refrigerated transport operators, DSA compliance means vehicles must achieve and maintain dairy temperatures before loading, temperature monitoring must be continuous and documented, and any temperature excursions can result in product rejection and regulatory action. DSA conducts cold chain audits at dairy facilities and distribution centres, making their standards effectively mandatory for operators in this sector. The agency’s published guidelines provide the temperature specifications, monitoring requirements, and documentation standards that define compliant dairy cold chain operations.