While Sasko has confirmed rat remains were found in one of its loaves of bread, it says no products have been recalled.
According to one of the reports, "nearly 200,000 loaves of bread were recalled and production was halted“.
However, taking to social media, Sasko denounced the reports as fake news.
"We are aware of social media posts indicating a recall of Sasko bread. We emphatically confirm that no product recall has been triggered and such posts and/or news reporting are factually incorrect," the company said.
Last week, IOL reported that Durban woman, Nombulelo Mkumla, discovered a rat in her bread.
In a lengthy Facebook post, she said she purchased the loaf of bread from a local shop after work on August 27.
A few days later, she took the bread out of the fridge to make toast and noticed something disgusting and scary.
“I took a picture and sent it to my friends, and one of them said, 'Yi mpuku leyo tshomi' [That's a rat friend],” she said.
Sasko has since confirmed that it was a rat baked in the bread.
“The investigation has to date not revealed any visible signs of rodent or any other infestation, as well as no sign of failure in our ongoing food safety and quality control systems and preventative measures.
“We have not received any other similar complaints from consumers. This is therefore deemed to be an extreme and isolated, yet very unfortunate incident. We have however decided, as a precautionary measure, to suspend bread production at the facility in question until such time as the investigation is completed and we are fully satisfied that there is no risk to our consumers,” Sasko said in a statement.
The company added that as part of its strict safety protocols, it continuously monitors and inspects its facilities and production batches for compliance with all food safety regulations, and to ensure that only products of the highest quality leave its facilities.
“We take food safety and quality concerns very seriously and are committed to addressing any such issues that may arise thoroughly,” Sasko added.
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