Oceana Group, the owner of Lucky Star, seeks to clarify inaccurate information about counterfeit canned pilchards recovered in Daveyton, Gauteng during a police operation.

This comes after the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng detained seven undocumented migrants, who are 18 to 29, during a search at a facility whose employees were purportedly packing and modifying dates on expired Lucky Star canned fish.

“On November 11, 2024, a joint operation between Crime Intelligence from Zamdela, Sasolburg and SAPS Kliprivier yielded significant results in the fight against counterfeit goods,” said Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, provincial police spokesperson at the time.

Lucky Star now says that investigators and third-party experts have proven this is not their product.

“So far investigations have established that an international manufacturer produced the canned pilchards under the Woolworths’ brand. The retailer imported and received them but later rejected the consignment and asked the supplier to collect it,” said the company.

It added that after collection, some of the cargo was illegally relabelled as Lucky Star and repackaged into Woolworths boxes.

Oceana Group offered the following tips to help consumers identify counterfeit goods:

– Examine the quality of the label. Only high-quality paper, specific to the product, is utilised.

– Counterfeit products labelling is often of lower quality.

– Check the print’s clarity. Any smudge or colour changing may indicate a fraudulent product.

– Check to see whether the label is crooked or not properly affixed to the can.

– Check the unique product code and best before date, which are ink-jetted on the end of the can.

– Check the barcode’s clarity and readability.

– Examine the unique, traceable codes written on the label adhesive flap.

– Check pallets for security tape and ID tags. Lucky Star cans do not feature ring pulls or easy-open lids for canned pilchards.

IOL