Woolworth launches own probe into counterfeit canned pilchards, incident sparks uproar in South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA – Retailer Woolworths has launched its own investigation into a counterfeit operation involving fake Lucky Star canned pilchards in Gauteng, South Africa.

 Although Woolworths and seafood specialist Oceana Group distanced themselves from the case, they launched investigations to ascertain the source and intention of the suspects.

Last week, the South African Police Service revealed that crime intelligence officers had raided a facility on Eland Street in Daleside, Sedibeng, during which they seized a large quantity of counterfeit canned pilchards and printing equipment used to alter expiration dates.

 Gauteng police arrested seven undocumented migrants at a factory where workers were altering dates on fake and expired canned fish, initially reported to be of Lucky Star origin. The suspects relabeled expired 2021/22 pilchard cans with counterfeit 2026 dates.

The retailer, in a statement, said it was aware of the recent police investigation into the discovery of a counterfeit operation involving canned pilchards in Woolworths-branded cartons found in a facility in Gauteng.

“Woolworths is aware of the recent SAPS investigation into the discovery of a counterfeit operation involving canned pilchards in Woolworths-branded cartons, found in a facility in Gauteng.”

The retailer said it has strong reason to believe that the product in question may have formed part of an imported shipment from an international supplier that was rejected by Woolworths for failing to meet their stringent quality control standards.

In the event of a product being rejected, Woolworths said it becomes the immediate responsibility of the supplier to collect and dispose of the stock from the retailer’s warehouse responsibly.

“We have launched our own investigation to determine why this process was not adhered to in this instance. At Woolworths, we take food safety and the well-being of our customers extremely seriously. It is our number one priority,” it added.

Lucky Star, on the other hand, explained that its investigators and third-party experts have categorically confirmed this is not their product. In a statement, the company said the labels are counterfeit and it does not use ring-pull lids on its canned pilchards.

“So far, investigations have established that an international manufacturer produced the canned pilchards under the Woolworths’ brand. The retailer imported the product from Morocco and received it but later rejected the consignment and asked the supplier to collect it.”

“After collection, some of the consignment appears to have been intercepted and illegally relabeled as Lucky Star using fake labels and repacked into Woolworths-labeled cartons,” Lucky Star explained.

As the police investigation proceeds, it remains unclear whether some of the large quantity of the counterfeit Lucky Star pilchards made it to informal spaza shops on the back of growing food-borne diseases.

Lucky Star has further advised consumers to be on the lookout for fake products and to report them to the relevant authorities. 

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