SA rice products recalled
Harmful colourants found in tested samples of products that were produced in June and July this year
Tastic Rice has issued a product recall of Simply Delicious Cook-in-Sauces and Simply Delicious Ready-to-Eat rice which were produced in June and July 2014.
The company said this was fuelled by its concern for consumers’ health and safety.
The Simply Delicious range of products is produced in India under the strict control of an internationally renowned flavour house and retested by Tastic in an independent laboratory in South Africa, to ensure that its high specification standards are met. Following recent laboratory tests, they were concerned to find traces of the colourants Methyl Yellow and Sudan 1 in certain of the Simply Delicious product range. These are colourants which can make food unsafe because of the potential toxicity and carcinogenic properties of such compounds.
Both substances are described by the World Health Organisation as representing potential risk to human health, and are prohibited for human consumption in certain countries around the world, including South Africa. “We have therefore temporarily withdrawn the Simply Delicious product from all supermarkets as a result of these findings,” read a statement issued on Tastic’s website.
Any consumer who has Simply Delicious Cook-in-Sauces or Ready-to-Eat rice product in their cupboard – specifically produced in June or July 2014 – is advised not to consume this product, not to dispose of it, but to return it to any of the major supermarkets in your neighbourhood. You will receive in return coupons to the value of the returned product, which you can use to purchase any product of your choice.
“We wish to reassure our consumers that the problem affects only these specific batches of Simply Delicious product, and confidently confirm that all other Tastic rice products meet our very high standards of perfection. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Once we are fully satisfied that supplies of Simply Delicious meet our stringent quality standards, the products will be supplied again to supermarkets as soon as possible.”
