A Cosmo City resident has raised concerns after allegedly discovering an unusual substance inside a 5kg bag of maize meal purchased from a local Spaza store.
Mkhwanazi Mathema, who lives in Extension 6, said the incident occurred on 17 February after he bought a 5kg bag of Knockout Power maize meal from Chittagong Super Shop in Extension 4 along South Africa Drive.
According to Mathema, he noticed something unusual while preparing food.
“I was cooking and trying to pour the maize meal when I realised there was a blockage inside the bag. When I checked, I found a hard lump with a stool-like shape and an unpleasant smell. I was terrified because I had already consumed some of the maize meal,” he said.
Mathema said he returned to the shop to report the matter. He claims he was dissatisfied with the response he received and was offered a replacement of 1kg of maize meal. He stated that this response prompted him to escalate the matter further.
He also expressed concern that he and some of his family members had already consumed part of the product.
“I will not proceed further unless a medical doctor confirms whether there are any foreign substances in my system,” he said.
Cosmo City Chronicle understands that the matter was reported to members of the local Community Policing Forum (CPF).
Senior Nkomo of the Cosmo City CPF confirmed that they received a complaint from Mathema and attended to the matter.
“We received the complaint and we are not taking it lightly. We saw the maize meal ourselves and noted the concerns raised,” Nkomo said.
According to Nkomo, discussions were held between the parties. He confirmed that an amount of R300 was given to Mathema to assist with medical consultation costs. The complainant is expected to provide feedback to the CPF once a medical report is available. Further action will depend on the outcome of that report.
In response to the complaint, a marketing specialist for the Knockout brand in Gauteng, Bennie Lion, stated that the company’s responsibility covers production and delivery to wholesalers.
“Our responsibility ends once the product has been delivered to wholesalers. We also carry insurance for incidents that may occur during transportation,” he said.
Lion added that the company produces over 16,000 tons of maize meal monthly and has recorded only one complaint in the past 24 months prior to this case.
He further stated that improper storage conditions, such as exposure to moisture, can affect maize meal quality.
“Based on the image shared with us, such outcomes may occur if the product is not stored under appropriate environmental conditions,” he said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances can cause more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoeal illnesses to more serious health conditions.
At the time of publication, the matter remains under review pending medical confirmation.