Woolworths investigating counterfeit products
South African retail giant Woolworths has launched an investigation after its branded packaging was found during a raid on a counterfeiting operation in Gauteng.
During a joint operation between Crime Intelligence from Zamdela Sasolburg and the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Daleside, Gauteng, on 11 November 2024, authorities seized a large quantity of counterfeit Lucky Star pilchards and printing equipment used to alter expiration dates.
Workers relabelled expired 2021/22 pilchard cans with counterfeit 2026 dates and packaged them in Lucking Pilchards cans and packaged in Woolworths cartons.
SAPS said that seven illegal immigrants aged between 18 and 29 were arrested, but the owner of the establishment remains at large.
So far investigations have established that an international manufacturer produced the canned pilchards under the Woolworths’ brand. The retailer imported and received them but later rejected the consignment and asked the supplier to collect it.
Investigators confirmed that the pilchards are not from Lucky Pilchards. Lucky Pilchards also confirmed that the labels are counterfeit as they do not use ring-pull lids on canned pilchards.
“The onsite inspection revealed an overwhelming amount of evidence, including but not limited to; label printing machines, easy to open ring pull cans, other substances and paraphernalia which are completely inconsistent with the manufacture of our product and proves beyond doubt that the product seized is not of Lucky Star origin,” said the company.
Woolworths said that it has “strong reason to believe that the product in question may have formed part of an imported shipment from an international supplier that was rejected,” for failing to meet quality control standards.
“In the event of product being rejected, it becomes the immediate responsibility of the supplier to collect and dispose of the stock from our warehouse responsibly,” said Woolworths.
After collection, some of the consignment appears to have been intercepted and illegally relabeled as Lucky Star and repacked into the Woolworths-labelled cartons.
The retailer said that it has launched an investigation to determine why this process was not adhered to in this instance.
“At Woolworths, we take food safety and the wellbeing of our customers extremely seriously [as] it is our number one priority.
“We would therefore like to remind our customers that Woolworths-labelled products must only be purchased at Woolworths stores, or through our Woolworths online channel,” said the company.
Surge in dangerous counterfeit products
South Africa has witnessed a surge in food-borne illnesses and subsequent deaths after eating contaminated food.
It has been found that in majority of the cases, food items would have been purchased from spaza shops and street vendors.
In an address to the nation on 15 November 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined that since the beginning of September 2024, there have been a total of 890 reported incidents of food-borne illnesses across all provinces.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have been the most affected, with Limpopo, Free State and Mpumalanga also recording dozens of incidents.
“Over the last few weeks alone, food-borne illnesses have claimed the lives of at least 22 of our nation’s children. Last month there was a major food-borne incident in Naledi in Soweto in which six children died [where] the youngest of these children was just six years old,” said Ramaphosa.
Some of these deaths are attributed to a highly hazardous chemical used as a pesticide known as Terbufos.
Terbufos is an organophosphate chemical that is registered in South Africa for agricultural use that can have serious health effects, even at low levels of exposure.
It is not allowed to be sold for general household use, however, it is being informally sold as a so-called ‘street pesticide’ for domestic use in townships and informal settlements to control rats.
In many townships another chemical, Aldicarb, and an organophosphate known as Galephirimi are commonly sold by street vendors and hawkers to control rat infestations.
During the address, Ramaphosa outlined some ambitious interventions to the crisis.
These include the immediate closure of spaza shops involved in food-related deaths, and the re-registration of all spaza shops within 21 days. Shops that fail to meet health standards will be shut down.
He said that a comprehensive inspection of spaza shops, especially in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, will be conducted to remove hazardous pesticides and ensure compliance with food safety standards.
Additionally, Ramaphosa said that the government will strengthen regulations on pesticide use, including traceability, repackaging, and destruction protocols.
The Department of Basic Education will issue guidelines for schools on preventing foodborne illnesses and managing food suppliers.
A public education campaign on food safety and chemical handling will be launched.
Local municipalities will also be tasked with a cornerstone of service delivery – effective waste management to address rat infestations to prevent further outbreaks.
Further, the government has introduced a new by-law to regulate township businesses and empower municipalities to set standards.
Ramaphosa also announced a R500-million fund will be established to support township and rural businesses, focusing on refurbishing businesses and enhancing regulatory compliance.
*This article has been amended to better reflect that the product is not of Lucky Pilchards origin, with response.
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