PRODUCT SAFETY AND LABELING
Woolworths is committed to maintaining the highest possible levels of product safety throughout the business. Product design and manufacture are always assessed against stringent safety standards.
Food safety is critical to the business and mechanisms are in place to ensure that consumers are offered product which has undergone thorough testing and rigid process control to ensure it is as safe as possible. Processes include routine checks:
- the Woolworths-appointed independent SANAS (South African National Accreditation System) accredited food laboratory runs routine checks for any potentially harmful micro-organisms and pathogens. It also routinely monitors pesticide residue levels on fresh produce and heavy metal levels in fresh fish; and
- an independent auditing organisation, International Britannia Limited (IBL), conducts four hygiene audits a year in each of our stores where food is cooked to ensure that good food handling routines are in place.
Woolworths has a robust product recall process in place, whereby products posing a safety risk are removed from the shelf within two hours of the respective executive being made aware of the risk.
Woolworths labelling policy ensures that customers are given sufficient accurate information to allow them to make informed buying decisions. Woolworths clothing is fully compliant with government requirements in terms of labelling which, in addition to listing the country of origin, require details of fibre content and care instructions plus the importer’s code for imported lines or the manufacturer’s taxpayer number for local goods.
All Woolworths food labels contain detailed information on ingredients, nutritional values and allergens. Woolworths has a no pin policy in Kidswear, to ensure we keep children safe and free from metal contaminants.