Tiger Brands has suffered a major blow in its reputation as a leading food manufacturer after a number of its KOO and Hugo’s canned products were forcibly recalled from shelves nationwide.
Why is Tiger Brands recalling KOO canned foods?
In a statement released on Monday morning, the processed foods manufacturer admitted it had dropped the ball in green lighting the distribution of “an extremely small number of defective cans supplied by a packaging supplier.”
Tiger Brands explained that it was calling for the return of certain KOO and Hugo’s canned vegetable products produced from 1 May 2019 to 5 May 2021.
“The cans may have a defective side seam weld that could cause the can to leak. The company identified the issue as part of its internal quality assurance processes,” the statement read.
The manufacturer admitted that the issue in this ‘small’ batch was identified in May but failed to provide substantive reasoning for why these products were allowed to be shipped to supermarkets nationwide.
Which KOO, Hugo’s products must I return?
These are the KOO and Hugo’s can products that are being recalled by Tiger Brands:
The exact can product and unit barcode being sought for recall can be found on this list.
To identify whether a KOO and/or Hugo’s product is part of the recall, customers are urged to look for a code on the top or bottom of the can that includes this manufacturing date: MAN 05/05/2021.
If any of the can products are found, customers are urged to “return the canned products to your nearest supermarket or wholesale outlet for a refund.”
The manufacturer urged customers to not allow this minor mishap to dampen confidence on canned foods.
“It is good practice to always take a moment to inspect the quality of a can when you’re choosing products. Never purchase or use cans that are dented, cracked, leaking, or have bulging lids,” the statement concluded.
