# Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits (remote · foodcompliance.co.za)

South African R638 Certificate of Acceptability (COA) food safety compliance and audit tools.

- Trust score: 70/100 (medium)
- Change this week: +10
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-11-05

## Components

- remote · `foodcompliance.co.za`: 70/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp/foodcompliance.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp/foodcompliance)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `2.0.1`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-11-05.

- **Endpoint Security**: 74/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - No authorisation is required to call this server. Every tool declares its destructiveHint and none is destructive, so open access doesn't expose one.
  - HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path.
  - HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 100/100
  - Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 67/100
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 1518 tokens (~303/item across 5 items; 5 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 23/100
  - Stability observed for 7 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 5 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 5 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 40/100
  - Spec-recency check failed: implements MCP spec 2025-03-26; the latest is 2026-07-28.

## Install

### How do I install the Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits MCP server?

Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits is a hosted endpoint at https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp 'https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp": {
      "url": "https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp]
url = "https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp --url 'https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp:
    url: "https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp -t streamable-http -u 'https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-11-03 (score 70, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 13 to 17. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 4 days of observed history at the previous scan, 5 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-11-01 (score 69, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 7 to 10. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 2 days of observed history at the previous scan, 3 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-30 (score 68, +8)

- [security improvement] Authorization: unverified → partial
- [security] Tool “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads
- [security] Tool “check_coa_requirements” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads
- [security] Tool “get_food_handler_training_standards” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads
- [security] Tool “get_municipal_health_guidelines” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads
- [security] Tool “request_compliance_audit” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads
- [functional regression] Schema quality: pass → fail
- [functional improvement] Tool coverage: 63% → 100%
- [functional improvement] Stability: unverified → 0.03
- [functional] Schema quality: good → excellent
- [cosmetic] “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” reworded the description of “floors_smooth_coved”
- [cosmetic] “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” reworded the description of “has_dedicated_handwash_basin”
- [cosmetic] “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” reworded the description of “has_double_compartment_sink”
- [cosmetic] “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” reworded the description of “has_grease_trap”
- [cosmetic] “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” reworded the description of “has_separate_prep_sink”
- [cosmetic] “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” reworded the description of “pest_control_contract”
- [cosmetic] “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” reworded the description of “trained_person_in_charge”
- [cosmetic] “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” reworded the description of “walls_impervious_tiled”
- [cosmetic] “check_coa_requirements” reworded the description of “municipality”
- [cosmetic] “check_coa_requirements” reworded the description of “premises_type”
- [cosmetic] “get_food_handler_training_standards” reworded the description of “role”
- [cosmetic] “get_municipal_health_guidelines” reworded the description of “municipality”
- [cosmetic] “request_compliance_audit” reworded the description of “business_name”
- [cosmetic] “request_compliance_audit” reworded the description of “contact_person”
- [cosmetic] “request_compliance_audit” reworded the description of “email”
- [cosmetic] “request_compliance_audit” reworded the description of “location_city”
- [cosmetic] “request_compliance_audit” reworded the description of “phone”
- [cosmetic] “request_compliance_audit” reworded the description of “premises_type”
- [cosmetic] “request_compliance_audit” reworded the description of “urgent”
- [cosmetic] Tool “calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness” changed its title: Calculate Facility Hygiene Readiness
- [cosmetic] Tool “check_coa_requirements” changed its title: Check Coa Requirements
- [cosmetic] Tool “get_food_handler_training_standards” changed its title: Get Food Handler Training Standards
- [cosmetic] Tool “get_municipal_health_guidelines” changed its title: Get Municipal Health Guidelines
- [cosmetic] Tool “request_compliance_audit” changed its title: Request Compliance Audit

### 2026-10-29 (score 60)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (5)

### `check_coa_requirements` (~247 tokens)

Check Coa Requirements

Evaluates Certificate of Acceptability (CoA) statutory requirements under Regulation R638 for a specific food premises category (restaurant, butchery, bakery, cloud kitchen, food truck, warehouse, packaging plant, mobile cart). When to use: Call this tool when you specifically need to execute 'check_coa_requirements' on Food Compliance Agency (foodcompliance.co.za). Do NOT use this tool when another specialized tool fits better (use 'get_municipal_health_guidelines' or 'get_food_handler_training_standards' or 'calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness' for their respective operations). Parameters: premises_type (required), municipality (optional). Behavior & Side Effects: Strictly read-only, idempotent query with zero state mutation; public unauthenticated access allowed; rate-limited to 60 requests/min per IP. Returns: Structured JSON object containing status, matched records or computed metrics, and canonical action URLs.

Input parameters:

- `municipality` (string): Governing municipal health jurisdiction. [Optional: omit to use server default filter].
- `premises_type` (string, required): Category of food establishment. [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].

### `get_municipal_health_guidelines` (~197 tokens)

Get Municipal Health Guidelines

Returns Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) inspection protocols, zoning prerequisites, and submission steps for South African metropolitan municipalities. When to use: Call this tool when you specifically need to execute 'get_municipal_health_guidelines' on Food Compliance Agency (foodcompliance.co.za). Do NOT use this tool when another specialized tool fits better (use 'check_coa_requirements' or 'get_food_handler_training_standards' or 'calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness' for their respective operations). Parameters: municipality (optional). Behavior & Side Effects: Strictly read-only, idempotent query with zero state mutation; public unauthenticated access allowed; rate-limited to 60 requests/min per IP. Returns: Structured JSON object containing status, matched records or computed metrics, and canonical action URLs.

Input parameters:

- `municipality` (string): Target municipal area. [Optional: omit to use server default filter].

### `get_food_handler_training_standards` (~204 tokens)

Get Food Handler Training Standards

Returns statutory training mandates under Regulation R638 Regulation 3, including syllabus prerequisites, certificate validity, and Person in Charge (PIC) obligations. When to use: Call this tool when you specifically need to execute 'get_food_handler_training_standards' on Food Compliance Agency (foodcompliance.co.za). Do NOT use this tool when another specialized tool fits better (use 'check_coa_requirements' or 'get_municipal_health_guidelines' or 'calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness' for their respective operations). Parameters: role (optional). Behavior & Side Effects: Strictly read-only, idempotent query with zero state mutation; public unauthenticated access allowed; rate-limited to 60 requests/min per IP. Returns: Structured JSON object containing status, matched records or computed metrics, and canonical action URLs.

Input parameters:

- `role` (string): Role or level of training. [Optional: omit to use server default filter].

### `calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness` (~493 tokens)

Calculate Facility Hygiene Readiness

Scores a commercial food facility's physical layout and structural preparedness against R638 audit requirements, identifying critical non-conformances. When to use: Call this tool when you specifically need to execute 'calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness' on Food Compliance Agency (foodcompliance.co.za). Do NOT use this tool when another specialized tool fits better (use 'check_coa_requirements' or 'get_municipal_health_guidelines' or 'get_food_handler_training_standards' for their respective operations). Parameters: has_dedicated_handwash_basin (required), has_double_compartment_sink (required), has_separate_prep_sink (optional), walls_impervious_tiled (required), floors_smooth_coved (required), has_grease_trap (optional), pest_control_contract (optional), trained_person_in_charge (optional). Behavior & Side Effects: Strictly read-only, idempotent query with zero state mutation; public unauthenticated access allowed; rate-limited to 60 requests/min per IP. Returns: Structured JSON object containing status, matched records or computed metrics, and canonical action URLs.

Input parameters:

- `floors_smooth_coved` (boolean, required): Impervious, non-slip flooring with coved rounded skirting. [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].
- `has_dedicated_handwash_basin` (boolean, required): Dedicated basin with liquid soap and disposable paper towels. [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].
- `has_double_compartment_sink` (boolean, required): Dual pot sink with hot water for sanitizing. [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].
- `has_grease_trap` (boolean): Functional vented fat trap on wash basins. [Optional: omit to use server default filter].
- `has_separate_prep_sink` (boolean): Dedicated sink for vegetable or raw meat preparation. [Optional: omit to use server default filter].
- `pest_control_contract` (boolean): Active pest management service contract and bait stations. [Optional: omit to use server default filter].
- `trained_person_in_charge` (boolean): Certified PIC under Regulation R638. [Optional: omit to use server default filter].
- `walls_impervious_tiled` (boolean, required): Light-colored washable tiled or epoxy walls up to min 1.8m. [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].

### `request_compliance_audit` (~377 tokens)

Request Compliance Audit

Submits an on-site Certificate of Acceptability (CoA) pre-audit or municipal licensing inquiry directly to the Food Compliance Agency consulting desk. When to use: Call this tool when you specifically need to execute 'request_compliance_audit' on Food Compliance Agency (foodcompliance.co.za). Do NOT use this tool when another specialized tool fits better (use 'check_coa_requirements' or 'get_municipal_health_guidelines' or 'get_food_handler_training_standards' for their respective operations). Parameters: business_name (required), contact_person (required), email (optional), phone (required), premises_type (required), location_city (required), urgent (optional). Behavior & Side Effects: Creates a live record/session in the backend database; no authentication required for public initiation; rate-limited to 60 requests/min per IP. Returns: Structured JSON object containing status, matched records or computed metrics, and canonical action URLs.

Input parameters:

- `business_name` (string, required): Parameter 'business_name' (string). [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].
- `contact_person` (string, required): Parameter 'contact_person' (string). [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].
- `email` (string): Parameter 'email' (string). [Optional: omit to use server default filter].
- `location_city` (string, required): Parameter 'location_city' (string). [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].
- `phone` (string, required): Parameter 'phone' (string). [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].
- `premises_type` (string, required): Parameter 'premises_type' (string). [Required: non-empty valid value must be supplied].
- `urgent` (boolean): Parameter 'urgent' (boolean). [Optional: omit to use server default filter].

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp/foodcompliance#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-11-05: 70
- 2026-11-04: 70
- 2026-11-03: 70
- 2026-11-02: 69
- 2026-11-01: 69
- 2026-10-31: 68
- 2026-10-30: 68
- 2026-10-29: 60

## Common questions

### What is the Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits MCP server?

Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as za.co.foodcompliance/foodcompliance-mcp. South African R638 Certificate of Acceptability (COA) food safety compliance and audit tools. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp).

### Is the Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits MCP server safe to use?

Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits scores 70 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits MCP server expose?

Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits exposes 5 tools: check_coa_requirements, get_municipal_health_guidelines, get_food_handler_training_standards, calculate_facility_hygiene_readiness, request_compliance_audit. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,518 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits MCP server require authentication?

No. We connected to Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits without credentials and it answered, so anything it exposes is reachable by anyone who knows the address.

### Is the Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits MCP server still maintained?

Food Compliance Agency — R638 COA & Hygiene Audits is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 5 November 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://foodcompliance.co.za/mcp
- Website: https://foodcompliance.co.za/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp/foodcompliance.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp/foodcompliance.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/za-co-foodcompliance-foodcompliance-mcp/foodcompliance