A private lab test commissioned by the manufactures of the XPOP Energy Cola Fizz lollipop, that is embroiled in the alleged poisoning of 40 learners of Lotusville Primary School in Verulam, has cleared Richester Foods of any wrong doing.
In a statement which was provided to the Tongaat and Verulam Tabloid, Richester Foods Managing Director Dr Hussein Cassim, said the company launched an urgent investigation after allegations emerged on social media regarding its XPOP Energy Cola Fizz lollipop, alerting them to the incident. Cassim emphasised that the safety of children and all their customers remains the company’s first priority. “We were very sorry to hear that these children had fallen ill. Our hearts go out to them and their families, and we wish them all a speedy recovery. As responsible food manufacturers, food safety is absolutely critical to our business, and the health of our customer’s remains our primary concern at all times. Accordingly, we are treating these claims with the seriousness and urgency that they deserve, and will get to the bottom this situation as quickly as possible,” said Dr Cassim.
He said the company has already identified the product batch of the lollipops in question, and that these have been sent to an independent laboratory for chemical and microbiological testing. On 14 November, preliminary test results from independent laboratory, KLM High-Giene Solutions, revealed that Richester Foods XPOP Energy lollipops were not responsible for the recent health scare at a school in Verulam. In a letter, KLM Director Khutsiso Kgole said: “We can therefore categorically confirm that, for the above-mentioned samples, which were tested, zero counts of the following tests were detected: Coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus. “We can further confirm that, based on the test results supplied (of the specified samples), the products were clear of any of the tested Bacteria, thus rendering them microbiologically clean (from the tested organisms/bacteria).
Dr Cassim noted that while the company is still awaiting the final results, he said all the bacteria already listed by the laboratory’s preliminary results are those responsible for causing food poisoning. No stranger to the controversy, the company in February 2022 faced similar allegations when the learners of uMzovane Primary School in KwaMaphumulo found themselves ill after consuming the lollipop. An independent lab, also cleared them of those allegations after submitting its lollipops for testing. KLM High- Giene Solutions, verified that the lollipops were free of any bacterial contamination or causes that could relate to ill health, confirming that the lollipops were safe for consumption. “We take all allegations of this nature very seriously. These laboratory tests have once again upheld our confidence in the quality of our products, and the strength of our very strict food safety and hygiene standards. Our thoughts are with these children, and we hope that the school’s management and relevant authorities will find the real culprit soon,” said Dr Cassim.
He added that given the seriousness of the claims, the company hopes that these test results will address any lingering concerns and urged the school and other stakeholders to keep investigating and checking for other possible causes. According to Lotusville Primary, on 11 November, the school hosted a market day where sealed packets were brought in by a learner. The learners purchased the lollipops and experienced adversed reactions. The symptoms included nausea, severe stomach cramps and breathing difficulties. The school principal, Mrs. M. Naidoo, said paramedics from various medical services were on scene and treated the affected learners accordingly. She said: “Those that required medical attention were transported by ambulances and educators to a local hospital. The learners are stable and responding well to treatment. We wish our learners a speedy recovery.”
Among the first responders, was Reaction Unit South Africa, who confirmed that the learners were aged between five and 13. RUSA Head, Prem Balram, said RUSA members were immediately dispatched to the school and on arrival located most of the ailing children in the parking lot. Paramedics from several ambulance services arrived shortly thereafter and assessed the minors. DA spokesperson of Education, Dr Imran Keeka, said it is important that the welfare of the learners is prioritised and that any further disaster is averted. He said: We have no doubt that medical teams will have their hands full and will do their best in the interests of the young ones. It is also important to identify the source of the sweets alleged to have caused this mass emergency so that there is not harm to anyone else in the wider community. This will need to involve the environmental health authorities, food inspectors, laboratory services to identify the causative ingredients and, to go so far as the port authorities if these sweets were imported. It is hoped that this matter will be thoroughly investigated and most importantly that all learners recover completely. If any member of the public is concerned by or has a complaint regarding a Richester Foods product, they are invited to contact the company via its customer care hotline at 012 666 8606.
