A Woolworths store is under investigation after a video of maggots found in the fridge section containing raw chicken went viral.
The incident took place at the Bel Air shopping centre in Johannesburg.
WOOLWORTHS INVESTIGATING MAGGOTS FOUND IN FRIDGE
On Facebook, user John Mawere posted a video clip of a gruesome discovery inside his local Woolworths food store.
In it were dead maggots in the fridge section where stacks of raw chicken had been packed.
He said in the video: “I have always been a loyal Woolies customer. I buy from Woolies because I have trusted the brand to deliver quality, freshness and high standards. So imagine my shock and disgust when I found MAGGOTS in the shelves at Woolies Belair. This is more than just a disappointing shopping experience. It is a serious food-quality and customer-trust issue.
He continued: “When you pay a premium for a brand like Woolies, you are not just buying a product – you are buying the confidence that the food you take home has been handled and supplied to the standards you expect. A brand is built on trust. It only takes one experience like this to seriously damage it”
Mawere demanded answers from the retailer on how and why the safety hazard had occurred, as well as how they planned to rectify it.
Responding to the complaints, Woolworths stated that the store was under investigation following the viral video.
It shared in a statement: “Independent hygiene experts were called to the store, all products were removed, and a deep clean was initiated.
“This is a unique and isolated incident which has triggered a full, ongoing investigation to determine the root cause. The store in question had recently been audited from a hygiene perspective, and no anomalies were detected.
Woolworths stated that it was deeply committed to the highest standards of hygiene and food safety across its entire operation.
“We recognise that we have let our customers down on this occasion and sincerely apologise. We are taking every measure to ensure this does not happen again.”
RAT ATTACK
It’s not the first time a Woolworths customer has made a disturbing discovery in a store.
In 2023, a female shopper discovered a live rat in the frozen chicken section of her local Gardens Shopping Centre store in Cape Town.
After the video found its way onto the X platform, the retailer replied to the social media backlash. In a statement issued to The South African, Woolworths profusely apologised to its shoppers.
It stated of their actions: “The store immediately underwent a forensic deep clean and was closed early to allow for a thorough investigation.”
Other shoppers have allegedly found worms, cockroaches, and even snakes in stores and in their items!
