From food products to those in the cosmetics industry, the number of product recalls in the country, although mostly voluntary, has been on the rise.

According to risk specialist and insurer Santam’s subsidiary SHA, there has been a significant uptick in the number of claims related to both the cost and legal implications of product recalls since 2018, when Tiger Brands' listeriosis scandal rocked the nation.

Although product recalls are often associated with the food production sector, there has been an upward trend among automotive and technology brands, such as the recall of cars by Mercedes-Benz South Africa, Manisha Chiman, SHA’s head of Professional Indemnity and Liability Underwriting said.

One of the reasons for the rising claims results from South African businesses changing suppliers over the past two years, which also indicates the impact Covid-19 had on suppliers, Chiman said.

Over the period, product liability claims for SHA skyrocketed from R2.7 million to R8.8 million, she said.

“The 2022 SHA Specialist Risk Review reveals that just under half of South African businesses have changed suppliers over the past 24 months, with 30% of these businesses doing so due to cost and 25% were forced to make the switch due to a supplier closing down,” Chiman said.

Here are some recent recalls.

Tiger Brands Purity Essentials and Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Essentials baby powder

Tiger Brands became the latest company in South Africa to recall some of its products this week. It said it detected trace levels of asbestos in test samples of the talc raw material used in its baby powder products. It recalled its 400g, 200g, and 100g Purity Essentials and Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Essentials baby powders.

The packaged goods company, which owns other brands like Beacon and Ace, lost more than R700 million last year when it recalled about 20 million items of canned products, including baked beans and sweetcorn.

South Africa experienced a series of apple juice recalls by major food producers and retailers, which led to Elgin Fruit Juice being investigated as the source of the recalls.

The Western Cape-based fruit grower and packer had been identified as a supplier of 100% juice to the affected fruit juice producers.

The recalls, which included Coca-Cola South Africa’s Appletiser, Pioneer Food’s Ceres and LiquiFruit, and Woolworths’ in-house brand apple juice, all had one thing in common. Elevated levels of patulin, a fruit-based mould that is a mytoxin was detected in all of them. When consumed, it can cause nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, and vomiting, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Mercedes-Benz recalled of over 13,000 vehicles

In June, South Africa’s National Consumer Commission issued a notice instructing Mercedes-Benz owners to stop driving their cars after a global recall.

The recall pertained to possible brake failures resulting from corrosion in the housing joining parts of the Mercedes-Benz ML, GL (model series 164), and the R-Class (model series 251), which were manufactured between 2006 and 2019. As many as 13,159 cars were affected in South Africa.

McCain’s frozen vegetables

In March, Frozen vegetable maker, McCain recalled its bags of green beans and its Spar branded stir fry bags. The company said it had detected glass fragments from a light fitting in some bags.

Nestlé’s Kit Kat

Nestlé South Africa’s recall of some of its Kit Kat chocolates in February was for reasons similar to McCain’s. The consumer goods company found glass pieces in its products, but did not elaborate on how they may have landed in them. Its two finger milk bars and mini bag products were affected.

L'Oréal SA's hair straightening creams

Personal care giant L’Oréal South Africa’s hair relaxer recall is one of the only non-food products.

In April, L'Oréal recalled some of its relaxer products after the company reported 22 consumer complaints to the NCC. It said using the product could cause increased hair breakage and scalp irritation.

The specific products - tubs of Dark and Lovely Precise Diamond Straight and Shine - were both distributed across South Africa and exported to Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, eSwatini, Zambia and Madagascar.