RCL Foods is warning consumers not to purchase or use condemned dry pet food stolen from a waste management facility in eastern Gauteng, South Africa. The company says the stolen product may be contaminated with Salmonella and could cause illness in pets and humans.
RCL Foods, a South African consumer goods and milling company that manufactures and distributes a wide range of branded and private-label food products, became aware that products from a limited number of specific condemned batches — dispatched for destruction at a specialist facility in late January and February — were stolen and are being sold through informal channels in parts of Gauteng, including the cities of Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni and Alberton. The products were discovered being sold on Facebook Marketplace and other social media platforms.
In-production quality control processes identified traces of Salmonella in the affected batches. None of the products were approved for sale; all were condemned and sent for controlled destruction, with certificates of destruction issued by the specialist facility.
"Our overriding concern is for the health and wellbeing of shoppers and their pets," said Paul Cruickshank, RCL Foods CEO. "Our immediate priority is to remove all stolen product we can find in circulation to reduce the risk to pets and their owners.
"But as a precaution, we are notifying shoppers and appealing to them to please contact our customer care line immediately if they believe they may be in possession of the stolen product," he added. "Together with independent forensic experts and the relevant authorities, we are urgently investigating how this product entered the market. RCL Foods will lay criminal charges against any parties identified as being responsible for the theft."
The company says no animals or people are known to have been affected at this time.
The affected stock represented a small portion of production. Production was paused, the plant was cleaned and sanitized, and restart processes have begun, with full production expected to resume shortly under reinforced monitoring measures. RCL Foods says all products currently supplied through retailers, pet shops and veterinarians meet its quality standards and are safe for animal consumption.
Affected products
The condemned batches span six dry pet food brands. Specific affected SKUs and expiration dates are listed below.
Catmor
- Catmor Dry Adult Liver 1.75 kg, exp. 8/5/2026 & 8/6/2026
- Catmor Dry Adult Tuna 1.75 kg, exp. 8/15/2026
- Catmor Dry Adult Salmon 1.75 kg, exp. 9/15/2026, 9/20/2026 & 9/21/2026
- Catmor 2in1 Dry Adult Chicken with Beef 1.5 kg, exp. 10/16/2026
Canine Cuisine
- Canine Cuisine Small–Med Adult Chicken & Rice 1.75 kg, exp. 9/15/2026
- Canine Cuisine Small–Med Adult Chicken & Rice 6 kg, exp. 9/15/2026
- Canine Cuisine Med–Large Adult Chicken & Rice 6 kg, exp. 8/6/2026 & 8/7/2026
- Canine Cuisine Gravy Coated Adult 1.5 kg, exp. 9/16/2026
- Canine Cuisine Gravy Coated Adult 5.5 kg, exp. 9/16/2026
Bobtail 2in1
- Bobtail 2in1 Adult Gravy Coated Steak Flavour 1.5 kg, exp. 9/12/2026
- Bobtail 2in1 Adult Gravy Coated Steak Flavour 6.5 kg, exp. 9/12/2026
- Bobtail 2in1 Puppy Milky Bones Chicken Flavour 5.5 kg, exp. 9/11/2026 & 9/12/2026
Ultra Pet
- Optiwoof All Size Breeds Adult Beef & Rice 8 kg, exp. 8/12/2026
- Optiwoof All Size Breeds Adult Beef & Rice 20 kg, exp. 10/14/2026 & 10/15/2026
- Optiwoof All Size Breeds Adult Beef & Rice 40 kg, exp. 9/19/2026
- Superwoof Small Med Adult Chicken & Rice 8 kg, exp. 8/12/2026 & 8/13/2026
- Superwoof Small Med Adult Chicken & Rice 12 kg, exp. 8/14/2026 & 9/20/2026
- Superwoof Small Med Adult Chicken & Rice 20 kg, exp. 9/20/2026
- Superwoof Small Med Adult Beef & Rice 8 kg, exp. 9/20/2026
Optimizor
- Optimizor Complete Adult Beef 20 kg, exp. 10/20/2026
- Optimizor Premium Adult Chicken & Rice 20 kg, exp. 9/2/2026, 9/3/2026, 10/17/2026 & 10/18/2026
- Optimizor Premium Adult Chicken & Rice 40 kg, exp. 10/18/2026
- Optimizor Premium Puppy 2in1 Milky Bones 7 kg, exp. 9/22/2026 & 9/23/2026
- Optimizor Premium Adult 2in1 Moist Meaty Chunks 18 kg, exp. 6/22/2026 & 6/23/2026
- Optimizor Premium Adult 2in1 Gravy Coated 18 kg, exp. 8/16/2026 & 8/17/2026
Bonzo
- Bonzo Steak 7 kg, exp. 8/10/2026 & 8/11/2026
Consumer guidance
Consumers who believe they may have product from the condemned batches are advised not to feed it to pets or other animals, and not to donate or sell it. Those who sourced any of these products outside of established retail stores or distributors, or from social media platforms since mid-January, should contact RCL Foods customer care:
- Telephone: 0860 103 764 (24 hours)
- Email: [email protected] (business hours)
