News24 | Stolen, contaminated pet food has hit Gauteng — top brands affected

While products from RCL brands sold at stores, pet shops and vets are safe, stolen products sold via other channels may be contaminated with Salmonella and could cause illness in pets and humans.

• Some of its pet foods may contain Salmonella and were sent to be destroyed, says RCL Foods.
• Instead, it found that some of the condemned products are now on sale in parts of Gauteng.
• Top brand names, including Canine Cuisine, Bobtail, Catmor and Ultra Pet Dog Food, are affected.
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Batches of its contaminated pet food have been stolen and are now being sold in Gauteng, RCL Foods warned on Sunday.

A month ago, inspections at one of its factories found that a limited number of its dry food products may contain Salmonella. The food was sent to be destroyed at a specialist facility.

But some of the products are now on sale via social media and other channels in Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni and Alberton.

“Together with independent forensic experts and the relevant authorities, we are urgently investigating how this product entered the market. RCL Foods will lay criminal charges against any parties identified as being responsible for the theft,” said the group’s CEO, Paul Cruickshank.

Batches of these brands are affected:

• Canine Cuisine

• Bonzo

• Bobtail

• Catmor

• Optimizor

• Ultra Pet Dog Food

While products from these brands available at stores, pet shops and vets are safe, stolen products sold via other channels may be contaminated with Salmonella and could cause illness in pets and humans, RCL warned.

Shoppers who bought these products on social media or other channels must contact RCL on 0860 103 764 (24 hours), 087 359 0476 (WhatsApp) or RCLConsumerCare@rclfoods.com.

RCL said it wasn’t aware of any animals or people that have so far been affected.

Production at the affected plant was stopped, and sanitisation efforts have been completed. “Full production (is) expected to resume shortly under reinforced monitoring measures.”

The latest incident is not related to a recall of RCL’s pet food brands late last year. A selection of dry foods under its Bobtail, Catmor, Canine Cuisine, Optimizor, Ultra Pet, and Superwoof brands tested positive for elevated levels of a mycotoxin, which came from some of the maize used in production.

Mycotoxin, produced by moulds that can grow on grains such as maize, generally saw pets refusing to eat if they were at elevated levels. If it were ingested, however, it could cause “temporary digestive upset”.