Consumers have been warned that thousands of cans of baby formula stolen from Nestle South Africa's Harrismith factory, which the thieves are now trying to sell informally, may not be safe for human consumption.
Nestle South Africa spokesman Ravi Pillay said yesterday that 44 pallets containing 10 000 cans of baby formula had been stolen from the factory.
He said the company had been alerted to the theft and laid a charge with the police last week.
"Because these products have left Nestle's strict control, the company can no longer guarantee their quality and safety, and recommends they not be consumed," Pillay said.
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"Nestle is working closely with the SAPS to recover these products and some perpetrators have already been arrested.
"The investigations have shown that these products are confined to Harrismith and surrounding areas."
Pillay said the thieves were trying to sell the products in informal stores in areas such as Ladysmith.
He said some of the products had been recovered yesterday, but he could not divulge any further details about the arrest because the investigation was at a sensitive stage.
"We would like to appeal to the public to help us recover these stolen products from the markets," Pillay said.
"The stolen products represent only a very small fraction of the total quantity of products made at the Harrismith factory and the theft is an isolated incident. In light of this, Nestle has put in place additional security measures to ensure that stock is protected and to prevent further thefts of this nature.
"We would like to reassure mothers and parents in general not to be concerned about the products they buy from mainstream retailers because this (theft) is limited to a geographic area and to the informal sector and people selling it on the side of the road."
Nestle has urged consumers in possession of the affected batches to contact the company's call centre at 086 009 6116 for an exchange or refund.
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