This Fairer World update contains details of Fairer World shop opening and closing for the Christmas and New Year period and provides more information from True Origin relating to True Origin products from Eswatini, where mould has been found in some of the products. We will issue a further Fairer World update early in the New Year.
Christmas and New Year opening times
In the run-up to Christmas the Fairer World shop will be OPEN EVERY DAY up to and including Christmas Eve, closing at 4pm on Christmas Eve.
The Fairer World shop will then be CLOSED every day over the Christmas and New Year period.
It RE-OPENS at 11.00am on Thursday 2nd January, after which it will be OPEN as usual 11.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Saturday inclusive.
If anyone needs supplies between Christmas and New Year, please get in touch by email to 84gillygate@gmail.com or by text / phone to 07877 947793 and we will respond quickly and arrange to deliver.
True Origin Food Recall Alert – Update
Further to the Fairer World update of 01.12.24, would customers please read the following updated and extended Food Recall Alert:
Fairer World has received more information from True Origin about True Origin Eswatini products, after mould was found in some of these products. This further information is contained in the following email from Nicola Taylor at True Origin (below) and an attached statement from the Chair and MD at True Origin (pasted below the email).
If anyone has concerns about this information (all of which is also displayed at the Fairer World shop) or would like more information, please get in touch with us by email to 84gillygate@gmail.com or text / phone to 07877 947793.
Moira and Charlie Bridge, Fairer World, 84 Gillygate
Email received from True Origin:
“From: Nicola Taylor
Sent: 16 December 2024 16:41
To: 84gillygate@gmail.com.
Subject: Update on Products from Eswatini Kitchen
Good Afternoon,
We have a further update for you but first of all thank you for your patience as we’ve investigated the cause of the mould on the Peach & Ginger Jam. It’s not good news I’m afraid, our worst fears have been confirmed and it’s more widespread than just one jam, it has affected some of the other jams and marmalades and therefore we will be extending the product recall to now include:
- Lime Marmalade
- Orange Marmalade
- Orange & Cinnamon Marmalade
- Ruby Grapefruit Marmalade
Gift Sets:
- Christmas Duo
- Festive Duo
- Fruit Duo
There has been no mould found in any of the savoury products, however, as we think the issue might be related to the lids not creating a proper vacuum seal, we have decided, in line with advice from Foods Standards Scotland, to withdraw these products from sale as a precautionary measure. This affects the products below where they have a black lid:
- Medium Curry Sauce
- Swazi Fire
- Lime Pickle
- Mango Pickle
- Vegetable Pickle
- Hot Mango Chutney
- Mixed Fruit Chutney
- Pineapple Chutney
Gift Sets:
- Spicy Duo
- Spicy Trio
- Chutney Trio
You do not need to recall these products or refund them, however, if you have any stock, we ask you to take them off sale.
Now we know the full extent of the issue, we will be in touch next week as we start the credit note / refund process.
Please find attached a letter from our Chair and MD containing more information and on this issue, and a recall poster for you to put up in your shops or website.
We thank you for your understanding and we will be in touch shortly”.
Follow up statement from True Origin’s Chair and MD on product issues, issued 13 December and attached to the above email:
“As you are aware, it came to our attention on 27th November that there is a quality issue with the Peach and Ginger Jam that we source from Eswatini Kitchen, with some jars developing a surface mould. As you know, we have been investigating the issue and the root cause and we asked you to stop selling/consuming all products from the Eswatini range whilst this investigation was ongoing.
We know the wait for results has been frustrating and we apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. The delay has been because the lab needed time to culture the mould and to see if other products developed anything similar.
Unfortunately, we are now confirming that we are widening the scope of the product recall to include all the other jam and marmalade products in the Eswatini range (listed below). Whilst the incidence of mould in these other products is much lower, there are some jars that are developing mould, and the investigation is finding some issues with the vacuum seals on these products. We have now informed Food Standards Scotland (FSS) of the need to recall these additional products (only where they have black lids):
- Lime Marmalade
- Orange Marmalade
- Orange & Cinnamon Marmalade
- Ruby Grapefruit Marmalade
In line with the FSS recall, customers need to contact the place they bought the stock. For customers who have ordered these products direct from True Origin:
- We will be in touch in the next week to confirm credit note/refund process for affected stock that you have ordered
- Please destroy any remaining stock you have
- If you sell stock on, please display the attached recall notice for your customers.
Customers who purchased any of these products from elsewhere, need to contact the retailer that sold them the product.
No mould has been found in any of the savoury products either by us or by the independent lab (or by Eswatini Kitchen’s analysis). However, given these products are from the same production run and there has also been incidence of poor vacuum seal on these lines, as a precautionary measure we are withdrawing these products from sale (again only where they have black lids):
- Medium Curry Sauce
- Swazi Fire
- Lime Pickle
- Mango Pickle
- Vegetable Pickle
- Hot Mango Chutney
- Mixed Fruit Chutney
- Pineapple Chutney
For customers who have ordered these products direct from True Origin:
- We will be in touch in the next week to confirm credit note/refund process for affected stock that you have ordered and still have in stock
- Please destroy any remaining stock you have
As we said previously, this issue is isolated to the Eswatini Kitchen product range. The rest of our range is not affected as we source these products from other suppliers. If you can, we ask that you keep buying from across our wider range True Origin | Food that has True Impact at Origin – True Origin Retail .
Thank you again for your patience and understanding. We understand this has been very difficult for everyone.
This has been an incredibly challenging time for the full True Origin team. If you would like to discuss ways to support us as we continue to work through the implications for our business, please get in touch: tracy@trueorigin.org.uk or mary@trueorigin.org.uk
Tracy Mitchell and Mary Popple”