RCL Foods has announced a nationwide recall of pet food due to potential Salmonella contamination, urging pet owners to check their products and return them for a refund.
Image: Supplied.
RCL Foods has issued a nationwide recall of pet food that might have been contaminated with Salmonella.
The company said on Thursday afternoon that it is initiating a country-wide recall of limited batches of Bobtail, Bonzo, Catmor, Canine Cuisine, Feline Cuisine, Optimizor and Ultra Pet Dog food manufactured at one of our pet food plants.
This comes after earlier this week, the company warned pet owners in Gauteng following the theft of condemned pet food meant for destruction at a waste management facility.
On Sunday, RCL Foods issued a stern warning to customers and urged consumers not to purchase or use these products, which may be contaminated with Salmonella, a serious health risk for both pets and humans.
In a concerning development, certain batches of condemned pet food from RCL FOODS, sent for proper disposal in late January and February, have found their way onto unofficial sales channels in areas including Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni, and Alberton.
The company said upon further investigations, it was discovered that some batches of the contaminated food meant for destruction also ended up in formal trade, meaning consumers may have purchased a bag of contaminated food from a trusted retailer.
"RCL FOODS instituted further checks on potentially contaminated product that had been designated for destruction, and regrets to confirm that some of these batches are in the formal trade," the company said in a statement.
Salmonella is a well-recognised food and feed safety pathogen capable of surviving in dry-processing environments, that can cause illness in pets and humans.
"Consequently, in line with our commitment to the highest safety standards, RCL FOODS is initiating a country-wide recall of limited batches of Bobtail, Bonzo, Catmor, Canine Cuisine, Feline Cuisine, Optimizor and Ultra Pet Dog food manufactured at one of our pet food plants," the company further stated.
The batch identification dates for affected products
Image: Supplied.
The batch identification dates for affected products
Image: Supplied.
The batch identification dates for affected products
Image: Supplied.
The batch identification dates for affected products
Image: Supplied.
The batch identification dates for affected products
Image: Supplied.
RCL Foods said that shoppers who have purchased any of the affected pet food batches listed above are asked to return the product to their retailer for a refund or replacement.
"In addition to the ongoing investigation into theft of condemned product, independent experts have been appointed to determine how product that had been marked for destruction, entered the formal market," the company said.
The food manufacturer added that preliminary internal assessments indicated that some product, that was condemned and marked for destruction, was erroneously released to the formal trade.
"At this stage, we are not aware of any animals or people having been affected. However, shoppers are advised to exercise caution," the company stated.
“On behalf of RCL FOODS, I want to apologise to all affected shoppers. Our primary concern is the health and wellbeing of shoppers and their pets,” said RCL FOODS Chief Executive Officer, Paul Cruickshank.
“Our immediate priority is to recall, remove and replace all potentially affected products from circulation. We did not meet our own standards. This is not what our customers expect from RCL FOODS. We are taking every step necessary to rectify the situation.”
Last year in November, the company had recalled several of their pet foods, due to to elevated deoxynivalenol levels, posing digestive issues.
The affected batches included various sizes of Bobtail, Catmor, Canine Cuisine, Optimizor, Ultra Pet and Superwoof - please see attached images.
The company said in a statement that during the verification of testing results, they identified elevated levels of Deoxynivalenol (DON) in certain batches of maize used to produce dry pet food manufactured on 26 - 29 May and 4 - 5 and 17 June 2025.
RCL Foods has announced a nationwide recall of pet food due to potential Salmonella contamination, urging pet owners to check their products and return them for a refund.
Image: Supplied.
They explained that deoxynivalenol (DON) is a naturally occurring mycotoxin produced by specific moulds that can grow on grains such as maize, which are tested as part of our quality management systems.
The company said that during last year's food recall, production was paused while the plant was thoroughly cleaned and sanitised, while essential and preventative maintenance was carried out.
"Operations resumed only after extensive follow-up testing confirmed the facility was free of contamination. Production has since resumed safely under strengthened monitoring measures. All products manufactured before or after the affected dates are safe for sale and consumption," RCL Foods stated.
If you have pet food products with identifying expiry dates, please return them to your retailer for a refund or replacement, should stock be available.
For further assistance, consumers were advised to reach out to their customer care team via:
If pets show any signs of illness after consuming dry pet food, pet owners should consult their veterinarian promptly.
Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling pet food is the most important step in preventing potential transmission to people.
Anyone who believes they may have become ill after handling condemned product, or after contact with an animal that has consumed it, should consult a healthcare provider and seek appropriate medical care.
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