‘Unfit for human consumption’: Canned pilchards products recalled by manufacturer

West Point Processors announced on Saturday that customers who bought pilchards in tomato sauce 400g tins recently must be returned for a refund due to the canned product being “unfit for human consumption”.

“Because consumer safety is our top priority, we wish to recall some pilchards in tomato sauce products,” the company said in a statement.

The manufacturing company explained that there might be a “canning deficiency” and there was a possibility that some customers might have bought an affected tin.

The affected brands included Cape Point and Saldanha as well as Shoprite Ritebrand, Checkers Housebrand, U-brand and OK Housebrand.

“The recall is only related to the 400g pilchards in tomato sauce products which have the specific batch codes starting with ZST2 and ZSC2.

“There is a small possibility that some tins may have a canning deficiency which could make the product unfit for consumption. We are working to identify the issue and ensure that our product meets the high standard our consumers rightly expect from us.

“Products with the above-mentioned codes must be returned to the supermarket where it was purchased for a full refund. We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” said the company.

Shoprite and Checkers told customers on social media that they had reacted to West Point Processors’ recall notice.

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