Nthatuoa Koeshe
THE Health Ministry has ordered environmental health officers to immediately remove all KOO and Hugo’s canned vegetable products from shelves and guide their safe disposal.
This after the manufacturer, South African Tiger Brands company, this week recalled the KOO and Hugo’s canned vegetables due to a deficient “side weld seam” that may cause leakage of some cans.
The affected cans were manufactured from 1 May 2019 to 5 May 2021.
The recalled products can be identified using the manufacturing date stamped on the bottom or top of the cans.
“Tiger Brands is recalling certain KOO and Hugo’s canned vegetable products produced from 1 May 2019 to 5 May 2021 due to an extremely small number of defective cans supplied by a packaging supplier,” a statement from the company said.
“The cans may have a defective side seam weld that could cause the can to leak. Tiger Brands identified the issue as part of its internal quality assurance processes.”
The Health ministry immediately reacted and ordered that the affected products be removed from local shelves.
“We instruct all environmental health officers to see to it that all these products are removed from the shelves and guide their safe disposal,” the Health ministry said.
The ministry also ordered port health officers to ensure that the said products are imported into Lesotho.
“The business operators who deal in these products are also ordered to immediately stop selling these products.
“The manufacturing date appears in the first line following the letters MAN. The ministry will continue collaborating with South African authorities to monitor the situation and update the nation as events unfold,” the ministry said.
Customers who purchased any of the said products are encouraged to return them for a refund, the ministry said.
