Niël Terblanché
A serious health scare in Namibia, sparked by allegations of broken glass found in packets of maize snacks, known locally as chips, has been labelled as fake news.
A viral video made by social justice activist Michael Amushelelo, alleging that the Hello Nax brand of chips contained broken glass, caught the attention of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, leading to immediate action.
Officials from the Environmental Health Division swiftly visited Rani Group’s retail outlets, the sellers of the implicated chips, to collect samples for laboratory testing. As the nation awaits these results, the manufacturer of the product, Eldorado Foods in South Africa, has categorically denied the allegations.
The company categorically stated that their product, Hello Nax, being sold in northern Namibia by the Rani Group, does not contain any harmful materials like broken glass.
Eldorado Foods stressed that the claim is an unfounded smear campaign aimed at undermining the growing popularity of Hello Nax in the Namibian market.
The company, with over two decades in the food industry, assured consumers of the safety of their products, while stressing their compliance with government audits and certification and sourcing ingredients only from accredited suppliers.
Furthermore, Eldorado Foods has proactively dispatched teams to investigate these claims and ensure the integrity of their maize snack products distributed throughout Southern Africa.
To date, the company reports finding no evidence supporting the allegations and has not received any official customer complaints regarding the matter.
They acknowledged the prevalence of hoaxes on social media platforms but are treating the situation with utmost seriousness, working in conjunction with relevant authorities to investigate the source of the allegations.
Amushelelo has recently been served with a restraining order, prohibiting him from entering any Rani Group retail outlets.
The legal action follows a separate dispute involving Amushelelo and the retail group, regarding the dismissal of a large number of workers.
