Johannesburg - The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has urged consumers to return or report any “fake” eggs supposedly being sold at local shops.
This follows numerous complaints in recent days over the spread of oddly-coloured eggs that have left consumers sick after eating them.
One such victim was Julius Moloi who recently shared a video on Facebook, detailing how eggs recently purchased at a local spaza shop left him sick for two days.
In the video, Moloi explained that he purchased the carton of eggs last week Thursday from the local shop which left him suspicious.
"I fried four of the six eggs and after doing so, noticed something suspicious about these eggs," he said.
"I then decided to get to the bottom of this and so went to purchase another carton, from the same store to test my theory."
The department confirmed it was aware of reports regarding the sale of “fake” eggs.
“Yes, the department is aware of these reports on social media and the radio; these reports are currently under investigation by the department’s inspectors,” the department said.
While the department added that the colouring of eggs could be influenced by the food fed to the laying hens, it urged consumers to return “abnormal” or “suspicious” eggs to retailers and request a refund.
Alternatively, consumers can report the issue to the assignee of DAFF, Agency for Food Safety and Quality (AFSQ), who will then investigate the issue.
“The assignee should be in a position to carry out the necessary inspection and testing. Based on the outcomes of the inspection and testing, appropriate regulatory actions would be taken.”