Introduction: Food security is essential amongst households as it enables consumers to live a
healthy and productive life. Determining factors for households to be classified as food secure is
the availability, accessibility and utilisation of food in a sustainable manner as food availability
and accessibility alone are not enough for households to be food secure. The food utilisation
aspect of food security, which includes the type of food consumed, food knowledge and food
handling practices, should therefore also be considered as it determines the quantity, quality
and safety of food. High percentages of the population in the Northern Cape province of South
Africa has inadequate access to food, is unemployed, poorly educated, and living below the
poverty line. All these aspects contribute to food insecure households. A specific community
within the Northern Cape was chosen to do research regarding households‟ food security
status, namely the employees of the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme (VIS). The VIS was
approached as consumers at the Vaalharts region indicated a need to improve their awareness
regarding hygiene and the consumption of adequate and a variety of food. Objective: The aim
of the study was to explore employees of the VIS‟ food security status. The focus of the study
was therefore on consumers who earn a stable income. As food access and utilisation are
fundamental aspects in determining household food security, self-production activities, food
knowledge, and consumption were investigated.