RCL Foods is issuing a recall of certain dry pet food products lines, manufactured in one of its facilities. This follows the recent theft of condemned dry pet food that had been sent to a waste management facility in eastern Gauteng, South Africa, for destruction, and its subsequent resale on the informal market. RCL Foods instituted further checks on potentially contaminated product that had been designated for destruction, and subsequently confirmed that some of these batches are in the formal trade.
Independent experts have been appointed to determine how product marked for destruction reached retail shelves, alongside an ongoing investigation into the theft.
Affected brands include Bobtail, Bonzo, Catmor, Canine Cuisine, Feline Cuisine, Optimizor and Ultra Pet Dog food, all manufactured at the same RCL Foods pet food facility. Specific batch identification dates are listed in accompanying documentation. Consumers who purchased affected batches are asked to return the product to their retailer for a refund or replacement.
RCL Foods said it first detected traces of Salmonella in certain dry pet food products through routine in-production quality control processes in November 2024. Further testing confirmed contamination was limited to specific batches. The company said it immediately isolated all potentially affected product and condemned the identified batches for destruction at a specialist waste management facility.
Production was paused while the facility was cleaned and sanitized and preventive maintenance was performed. Operations resumed after follow-up testing confirmed the facility was free of contamination. The company said strengthened monitoring measures are now in place, and that only products with the specified expiry dates are subject to the recall. All other products with different expiry dates are considered safe.
No illnesses in animals or people have been reported at this time, though the company advises consumers to exercise caution.
"On behalf of RCL Foods, I want to apologize to all affected shoppers," said Paul Cruickshank, CEO of RCL Foods. "Our primary concern is the health and wellbeing of shoppers and their pets. 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."
RCL Foods said it is working with retailers, regulators and relevant authorities to identify and remove all affected products from the market.
