Major Pet Food Recall in South Africa: What Owners Need to Know

Thousands of bags of popular dog and cat food have been urgently recalled across South Africa after tests revealed unsafe toxin levels.

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) confirmed that several well-known brands – Bobtail, Catmor, Canine Cuisine, Optimizor, Ultra Pet, and Superwoof – are affected. The recall applies to specific batches manufactured on 26–29 May, 4–5 June, and 17 June 2025.

Dog Food Brands

• Bobtail
• Canine Cuisine
• Optimizor
• Ultra Pet
• Superwoof

Cat Food Brand

• Catmor

Affected Production Dates

• 26–29 May 2025
• 4–5 June 2025
• 17 June 2025

What went wrong?

• Elevated levels of Deoxynivalenol (DON), a naturally occurring mycotoxin found in maize, were detected.
• DON is considered safe below 1,000 ppb, but higher levels can cause pets to refuse food or suffer digestive upset.
• The contamination originated from maize used in production during the affected dates.

The recalled pet food products will only be safe to use once new batches are manufactured and tested to confirm that toxin levels are below the regulatory threshold (1,000 ppb of DON). The affected batches (produced on 26–29 May, 4–5 June, and 17 June 2025) remain unsafe and should not be fed to pets.

Company response

Producers have increased testing frequency and assured consumers that the issue is limited to the identified batches. Authorities urge pet owners to stop feeding these products immediately and carefully check the packaging dates.

Key takeaway: Only newly tested batches will be safe. Until then, avoid feeding any of the recalled products to your pets

Sourced from: Rekord