Following a standard quality testing routine, Coca-Cola Namibia Bottling Company has recalled specific batches of Appletiser that were confirmed to be outside acceptable standards.
“The health and wellbeing of our consumers is our primary concern and we have taken a decision to withdraw all affected stock from the market nationwide, with immediate effect. We are working with authorities to ensure all processes are followed as we continue our investigation to understand the cause of the problem,” read a statement from the company.
The statement advises anyone who purchased an Appletiser product from the following batches: BB18May2022, BB23May2022 (330ml) and BB07Nov2021 (1250ml), to contact the company’s call centre on 081 377 8001 and request for the collection and exchange of the product. The batch numbers can be found on the top or bottom of the pack.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s National Consumer Commission (NCC) also confirmed a recent recall of Appletiser products. This recall involved six batches of Appletiser products manufactured by Coca-Cola South Africa that were recalled over contamination concerns. That recall affected more than 37 000 cases of Appletiser cans and bottles that were already distributed.
According to news reports, Coca-Cola South Africa first raised the alarm publically on Thursday 23 September 2021, indicating that batches of Appletiser products were “revealed to be outside acceptable standards” following standard quality testing. The manufacturer refused to provide further details of the recall, including the reasons for the withdrawal and the number of individual products impacted.
Moreover, the New South Wales (NSW) Food Authority confirmed a similar recall in Australia.
In a statement confirming that the affected products originated from South Africa, the NSW Food Authority said that the recall was due to higher than acceptable levels of patulin. “Products containing elevated levels of mycotoxin (patulin) may cause illness,” said the Food Authority on Friday.
Elevated levels of patulin, produced by a variety of moulds most commonly found in rotting apples, has now been confirmed by South Africa’s own authorities. Consumption of patulin may cause nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, and vomiting according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).