Manufacturer denies links between chips and child's death Azra Rahim
THIS week, the POST published a story that Azra Rahim, 7, from Brakpan on the East Rand, suffered multiple organ failure hours after she allegedly ate a packet of chips, which was believed to have been purchased from a tuckshop in Benoni.
Tests revealed traces of Terbufos - a deadly insecticide that is used to get rid of insects and rodents - in her bloodstream.
In a statement this afternoon from the manufacturer of Go-Slo’s, Truda Foods, it said that it was deeply saddened by the tragic incident and their hearts and prayers went to the family.
“We do however need to make it very clear that this poison did not come from our factory.”
In the statement, Truda Foods claimed they had reached out to the family quoted in the article, “who have confirmed that there is no evidence linking Go-Slo’s to the incident”.
“They further advised that they were misquoted and taken out of context,” the statement read.
“We have an illegal pesticide problem in South Africa. Organophosphates, which are used for cheap pest and rodent control remain freely available on the streets. There is an unproven hypothesis that children have become exposed to these poisons through contaminated snacks purchased from spaza/independent shops,” the statement said.
It further stated that there had been absolutely no factual evidence linking any form of illness or death to any snack product.
“Reckless, irresponsible reporting, which is mostly based on hearsay, has led to authorities and government looking in the wrong direction for solutions to the illegal pesticide problems. Misreporting has negatively affected the country’s dry packaged goods industry and jeopardised the livelihoods of those who rely on it for income,” the statement concluded.
In a statement yesterday to the POST, Pieter Riekert, head of legal group labour relations manager - Truda Foods – said a “tragedy of this nature is truly unthinkable and should never happen”.
“However, we must address a misleading statement in the article, particularly the paragraph: ‘She said they believed the chips had been exposed to the insecticide before it had been brought to the tuckshop.’
“This wording creates the false impression that contamination may have occurred at our factory. We categorically state that our products are never exposed to any form of poison at any stage of the manufacturing process,” said Riekert.
“It is critical to emphasise that if the product in question was purchased with its seal intact, contamination by any external substance - including Terbufos or any other poison - would have been impossible. In previous cases of this nature, where various snack brands were implicated, independent product testing consistently found them free of toxins or harmful substances,” he added.
He said their factories did not use Terbufos, nor did their production process allow for any foreign substances to be introduced.
He said past cases alleging a link between snacks and illness have been thoroughly investigated, with no credible evidence connecting extruded maize products to such incidents. Instead, investigations have consistently pointed to unsafe, unregulated substances - such as improperly stored pest control poisons - as the true cause of these tragedies.
“Furthermore, the Minister of Health has clearly stated that there is no confirmed link between packaged chips and the recent illnesses or fatalities attributed to organophosphate poisoning,” added Riekert.
“We await the forensic results of the specific packet in question, as well as the batch testing currently being conducted. We remain fully committed to transparency and cooperation in ensuring that accurate, fact-based information reaches the public.
“We greatly appreciate responsible journalism and trust that future reporting on such sensitive matters will reflect a balanced and factual perspective,” he said.
* Out of respect for the grieving family, the POST newspaper will not at this stage respond to the claims made in this statement about misreporting and the family being misquoted. However, it must be noted that we subscribe to the highest standard of journalism, as enshrined in the press code.
THE POST
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