The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority said only the Citro-Soda Regular batches have been affected.
Image: Facebook
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) confirmed non-compliance with its regulatory practices is the reason behind the recall of Citro Soda produced by Adcock Ingram.
In a media briefing, Sahpra CEO, Dr. Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, confirmed the recall of the Citro Soda Regular.
This comes after a former employee of Adcock Ingram from the Clayville manufacturing plant blew the lid off the company's non-compliance, which resulted in a Carte Blanche expose.
Semete-Makokotlela set the record straight on Tuesday, that the whistle-blower indeed did reach out through its platforms; however, there was not enough information given for them to probe.
“Our mandate is to ensure every health product has been regulated to ensure products of good quality and safety. As a country, it is important we uphold our mandate. This recall should give the public some reassurance that we are fulfilling our mandate,” Semete-Makokotlela said.
She said once Sahpra became aware of non-compliance, it acted swiftly.
The recall only affects the Citro-Soda Regular and only the batches that were manufactured at the Clayville manufacturing plant in Johannesburg. This comes following a potential contamination risk. The recall is limited to the affected batches of Citro-Soda Regular 60g, Citro-Soda Regular 120g, and Citro-Soda Regular 4g x 30 Sachets.
Lebogang Mazibuko, the Senior Manager for Inspectorate and Regulatory Compliance for Sahpra, said it has regularly inspected Adcock Ingram over the years.
Mazibuko said once the information was received from the whistle-blower, an inspection was conducted at the Clayville plant on February 24, 2026.
“During this time, we identified critical deficiencies and issued Adcock Ingram with market action, which means the manufacturer must comply with critical issues,” Mazibuko said.
She explained that metal fragments and black residue were discovered during their inspection, which poses the risk of contamination and affects the health of consumers.
Damaged and rusted machinery were discovered. Pieces of damaged conveyor belts were found. An absence of suitable handling systems (this prevents contamination), the absence of cleaning procedures was not active, and accumulated powder and residue were found in machines.
“This poses a risk to the public that may be harmful. This has shown us there is no quality of the product. These unintended substances and contaminants will surely compromise the quality, safety, and stability of these products. They have not demonstrated that they have built quality products. So they [Adcock Ingram] did not comply,” Mazibuko said.
Emphasis was placed on it being only the Citro Soda Regular that was recalled, and only the batches manufactured in Clayville.
Mazibuko said they found that the Adcock Ingram manufacturing plant in India complied.
Sahra’s Manager for Regulatory Compliance, Mokgadi Fafudi, said this product was exported to nine countries in Africa and locally all over.
“It is in tens of thousands of units that have been affected. All the regular Citro-Soda Regulars, as indicated, are being recalled,” Fafudi said.
She said the recall is in terms of the safety of the public and that consuming the affected batches could lead to adverse health problems.
“This recall is also designed to reach all suppliers. The public needs to know that this is not a withdrawal of the product but a recall of a particular batch. Those in possession of the affected batches can take them back to the suppliers or the nearest health facilities. They are also welcome to reach out to Adcock Ingram,” Fafudi said.
She stated Sahpra will be closing monitoring that all the affected batches are returned and destroyed.
Sahpra will also be monitoring the compliance of the Clayville manufacturing plant to ensure corrective and preventative actions are in place.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
IOL