In fact, supermarkets such as Shoprite / Checkers, Pick & Pay, Score, Spar and Trade Centre Metsef confirmed to Mmegi yesterday that they had removed the species by Saturday before the publication of the Times article.
The test commissioned by the paper indicated that a Peri-peri spice from the Robertson stable (a Unilever company) and two from Taj Mahal of Osman Spice Works contained the banned industrial chemical Sudan dyes I, II, III and IV. Apparently the dyes are used illegally to enhance the colour of chilli powders. Their legal uses include colouring of petrol, waxes, floor and shoe polish, and cosmetics.
A spokesperson for Shoprite/Checkers noted that "as a precaution, we had taken everything off the shelves by Saturday morning, until things have been cleared". The Molapo Crossing Pick & Pay spokesman said: "Our head office in South Africa informed us before the story broke on Sunday out and we took the peri-peri off the shelves. That's the only affected product we carried."
