Sasko has issued a statement denying that a Johannesburg woman’s viral video of her bread contained a dead rat inside.
According to the bakery, which is part of Pioneer Foods, the object found in the baked goods was actually “burnt dough.”
SASKO BAKERY SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON VIRAL VIDEO
Last week, a Johannesburg woman – who uses the TikTok handle @andilemalope_13 – shared two clips of what appeared to be a gruesome find in her loaf of white Sasko bread.
The videos – which received over a million views – was widely shared on social media.
@andilemalope_13 #saskobread 😭💔kanti whats going on with sasko @Nkuli @delimalope ♬ original sound – andile_13
@andilemalope_13 😭💔😂😂😂😂my mothers reaction when seeing the bread #saskobread ♬ original sound – ikaaaaa
In the comment section of the video, the woman claimed she had bought the bread at her local Spar in Leondale. At the time, Sasko claimed that it was “addressing the matter” directly with the consumer.
In a statement to The South African, Sasko now claims that the discovery “was not a foreign object/rat as alleged by the consumer, but a piece of burnt dough.”
It also responded to another video of a woman whose discovery of white bread mixed with brown also went viral.
@lebohangmatela ♬ original sound – Sthuli Sasengweni
It stated: “Both happen by extreme exception in the baking process. These exceptions can occur through the baking process, when small pieces of dough may remain stuck in the baking pan from a previous batch and when the pan is used again and a new loaf of bread is baked.
“These are unfortunate circumstances, but neither pose a risk for consumers.”
Images via Facebook:
Sasko/ TikTok: @andile_13
‘IT WON’T AFFECT YOU HEALTH-WISE’
Sasko’s statements come two weeks after a Durban woman, Nombulelo Mkumla, shared a clip of a rat baked into her brown seeded bread.
After the video went viral, the bakery publicly apologised to the woman, pledging to continue to “adhere to strict safety protocols,” including monitoring and inspecting facilities and production batches to ensure compliance with all food safety regulations.
According to its investigation findings, the incident was ruled to be an “extreme and isolated, yet very unfortunate incident.”
Sasko added: “The health and wellbeing of our consumers is of paramount importance to us.
“We take food safety and quality concerns very seriously and are committed to addressing any such issues that may arise thoroughly.”
However, Nombulelo claims that Sasko initially tried to brush off her findings as “mould.”
She posted on Facebook: “Why would I make a fuss over mold? A guy from Sasko called me. ‘Ma’am, I am… from Sasko. I am calling regarding your recent experience with our product. I sincerely apologize for what happened to you. It shouldn’t have happened, but you must understand that it gets hot where we bake our products, so things like this are bound to happen.’”.
Nombulelo claimed that the representative added: “Don’t worry; it won’t affect you health-wise.”
WILL YOU BE PURCHASING SASKO BREAD AGAIN?
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