Staff Reporter.
McCain South Africa is recalling some of its frozen green beans, and Spar-branded French stir fry, after glass fragments were found in some bags.
The company said it had found “the source of the material, confirming it to be small glass fragments originating from a light fitting”. It did not provide more detail of how the glass had ended up in packs, or how it had not been detected before shipment.
The beans and stir fry mix were all made between July and October 2021, and all carry a best-before date in 2023.
The recall is a voluntary, national one. Affected products had already been pulled from retailers’ freezers, the company said on Tuesday.
Specific batches of frozen vegetables are affected, and buyers will have to examine the fine-print details of manufacturing to see if any in their home freezers are included.
Those who find affected products should return it to the store from which it came, in return for a voucher, McCain said. It offers support to determine the batch number of a pack via consumer@mccain.co.za, or via the phone number 0800 006 498.
In February, some Kit Kat chocolates were recalled due to fears they may contain broken glass. At the time, manufacturer Nestlé South Africa said it had not received complaints of glass contamination, and was still investigating the circumstances.
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has urged consumers in possession of certain McCain sliced beans and Spar stir fry products to return them to the point of purchase.
In a statement, Acting Commissioner Thezi Mabuza said the supplier informed the Commission of its precautionary recall after small fragments of glass were found in the products.
The products were packaged from July 2021, with best before dates between 2022 and 2023.
“We urge consumers who might have these products not to consume them and to return them to the retailer for a full refund or an exchange. The safety and protection of South African consumers is the mainstay of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA),” Mabuza said.
While the Commission welcomed the precautionary recall by manufactures and suppliers, Mabuza reiterated that regular quality check routines and processes are critical in order to deliver goods or services that will satisfy customers’ needs.
“The Commission is monitoring the recall based on its Recall Guidelines and also allowing the supplier to conduct further investigations to detect any further potential risk,” Mabuza said.