P'nP scare loses poison

2003-07-10 21:44

Lynn Bolin

Johannesburg - None of the 19 people sent for blood tests showed any signs of cyanide poisoning, Pick 'n Pay reported on Thursday.

Pick 'n Pay CEO Sean Summers said: "I am pleased to be able to report that all of these tests have now returned as clear, showing absolutely no traces of cyanide poisoning.

"This therefore now puts us in a position to confirm that the activities of the extortionist have been confined to two products - being No Name Brand Portuguese Sardines 120g, Fritos Barbeque Strip Pack 4 x 25g Chips, and two regions, being KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng."

This means the food poisoning scare at Pick 'n Pay was still confined to three customers only. At the same time, they said, Pick 'n Pay had not heard from the extortionist threatening to poison its food products for 30 days.

The three people who were directly affected by the activities of this consumer terrorist were in good health. For two of them, the blood cyanide levels have returned to normal and the third was under treatment.

With heightened consumer awareness and concerns the retailer received a number of calls from customers suffering symptoms of regular health disorders that happen on a daily basis and in the normal course of events, Summers said.

"Given that we were at the centre of this concern, we duly tried to deal with each call, the bulk of which were routed on to the usual family physician.

In 19 cases, the retailer deemed it prudent to send these customers for immediate blood tests to establish whether there had been any further product contamination.

In the interest of consumer safety, the four products withdrawn will remain off the shelves for the next few weeks until the rate of return from consumers on items already purchased, has ceased.

Summers said: "We have not heard from the extortionist for 30 days. In the case of a number of similar extortion cases, both internationally and in South Africa, the perpetrator of this kind of horrific crime typically disappears into obscurity.

"This tends to happen once they have achieved their goal of damaging the company or because they realise that public awareness, outrage and the threat of apprehension through a reward, with a possible life sentence, does not make this worth pursuing.

National Police spokesperson, Superintendent Selby Bokaba said: "The investigating team of Detectives and members of Crime Intelligence is working around the clock to bring the culprit/s to book. The South African Police Services and National Intelligence Agency continue to follow up all leads that have come to us thus far.

- I-Net Bridge (Business)