The National Consumer Commission (NCC) announced that it was currently investigating Clover (PTY) Ltd for alleged contraventions of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).
This comes after the dairy company informed the NCC that it has recalled 10 776 units of 400g of Go Nuts peanut butter following numerous tests that revealed higher levels of aflatoxin.
Aflatoxin is defined as a family of toxins produced by certain fungi found on crops such as maize, peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts.
The recall by Clover comes after the commission recently received five peanut butter recalls.
These include Pick ‘n Pay’s 1kg No Name, Dis-Chem’s Lifestyle Brand 400g and 800g of their smooth and crunchy, Wazoogles, Eat Naked, and Woolworths’ peanut butter dairy ice cream after these products failed to meet the acceptable levels of aflatoxin.
(* See more below on the various peanut butter brands recalled)
“Following these recalls, the NCC called on all producers, manufacturers, and suppliers of peanut butter, peanut butter-based products, and products containing peanuts to immediately test their products for aflatoxin levels and submit their results to the NCC,” the commission explained.
NCC Acting Commissioner, Thezi Mabuza, said the call for suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors of these products to immediately test their products for levels of aflatoxin has been an eye-opener.
“From the test results that were received by the commission, there is an indication that suppliers were not compliant with their protocols, and regulations. We are expecting suppliers, to be specific, the retailers, to immediately recall those brands that are non-compliant. This is to ensure that we protect South African consumers from any further harm,” she said on Friday.
Meanwhile, the NCC said it has made a decisive decision to get to the bottom of the challenge.
“Section 60 of the Act read with the NCC’s Product Recall Guidelines requires that the supplier or manufacturer upon discovering that safety has been compromised that a retailer or supplier must recall the affected product immediately and inform the regulators. Upon receiving the notification from Clover (PTY) Ltd, the commission assessed the recall and established some inconsistencies with the CPA,” Mabuza said.
Consumers who have Clover’s Go Nuts peanut 400g with the 12, 18, and 19 June 2025 and 19 July 2025 best-before dates are urged to stop consuming the product and return it to the point of purchase for a full refund.
The risk of consuming products with higher than acceptable levels of aflatoxin may lead to health complications like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, the NCC said.
“South African consumers who have the recalled products must immediately stop consuming these products and return the products to a point of purchase for a full refund, with or without proof of purchase,” Mabuza added.
Clover said the quality and safety of its products remain a top priority.
“All affected batches of the product have already been removed from all stores countrywide. All other batches of our Go Nuts Peanut Butter product in stores are not affected by this recall and are 100% safe for consumption,” said Clover in a statement.
* On Sunday, February 11, 2024, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) urged consumers in possession of various peanut butter brands manufactured by House of Natural Butters to return them to the point of purchase.
Acting Commissioner Thezi Mabuza said the manufacturer informed the Commission that the products from Pick n Pay’s No Name brand, Eden All Natural brand, Wazoogles Superfoods and Dischem’s Lifestyle brand were found to have higher than legally acceptable levels of Aflatoxin, as set out under R1145 Regulation Governing Tolerance of Fungus-Produced Toxins in Foodstuffs.
The recalled products are Dischem’s Lifestyle 400 grams Smooth and Crunchy, Dischem’s Lifestyle 800 grams Smooth and Crunchy, Wazoogles Superfoods (all sizes starting from 32g to 20kg), Pick n’ Pay’s No Name 1kg Smooth, and Eden All Natural.
“Pick n Pay, Eden All Natural, and Dischem’s Lifestyle brands were distributed nationally, while Wazoogles Superfoods products were distributed mainly in the Western Cape,” Mabuza said.
Mabuza urged consumers in possession of these products to immediately stop consuming them and return them to the point of purchase for a full refund “with or without proof of purchase”.
While the Commission is investigating the affairs of the manufacturer, House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, Mabuza said the NCC will also conduct a nationwide assessment to establish whether other brands are affected.
“The Commission urges the manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of peanut butter to comply with regulations and conduct urgent tests to assess the safety of the products on their shelves and take immediate corrective steps, if found to be unsafe,” Mabuza said.
The Commissioner reiterated that the Consumer Protection Act requires that goods that pose any risk of harm to the consumer be recalled, and “it is the responsibility of the manufacturers, importers, and retailers to ensure that goods comply with all applicable laws and standards of the Republic”.
“Aflatoxin may lead to health complications not limited to nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. We, therefore, urge South African consumers, who have the recalled products, to immediately stop consuming these products and return the products to the point of purchase for a full refund, with or without proof of purchase,” Mabuza said. – SAnews.gov.za
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Pam Golding – Pam Golding formed Pam Golding Properties in 1976 and turned it into the largest estate agency in the country. Her company has since gone onto transform the luxury residential landscape in South Africa, especially in Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard.