Pick ‘n Pay said on Friday it had withdrawn Maggi 2-minute noodles — the cheese-flavoured 75g pack — in all its stores as a precaution, and asked customers who had bought the product to return it.
It later added the chicken-flavoured noodles in the same range to its list of poisoned products.
This was done because the same customer whose child had eaten a packet of barbecue flavoured crisps that was found to be poisoned had also bought a packet of Maggi 2-minute cheese noodles, and a chicken-flavoured noodle pack at the same time, Pick ‘n Pay and the police said in a joint statement.
This second packet was located in a cupboard at the woman’s home and sent for testing, confirming very low traces of cyanide, Pick ‘n Pay said.
Spokesperson Tamra Veley said the packet had also been found to contain very low traces of cyanide. The child’s blood had been tested and had reconfirmed traces of cyanide. The girl is at home undergoing further treatment.
”This comes after all other blood tests, other than the original three, had shown no traces of cyanide poisoning.”
She said the customer bought the Fritos and the 2-minute noodles at the Bedford Garden store near Eastgate in Johannesburg.
The noodles products would be withdrawn from Pick ‘n Pay stores nationally, and customers were requested to return it with a full refund.
Pick ‘n Pay chief executive Sean Summers said the three people who were directly affected by the activities of ”this consumer terrorist” have been exposed to very low levels of cyanide poisoning.
The other products which have been withdrawn were Pick ‘n Pay No Name Brand Sardines 120g, Pick ‘n Pay Choice Garlic Flakes 100ml bottle, Lucky Star Pilchards in Chilli 155g, and Simba 25g Fritos Barbeque Strip Pack 4s.
Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest and conviction of the extorionist can phone the Pick ‘n Pay reward line on 011-455-3843. – Sapa. I-Net Bridge