Woolworths pulls product from its shelves in South Africa because of health risk

Woolworths has announced a recall of WBeauty Complete Clarifying Shampoo with immediate effect due to health concerns.

WBeauty Complete Clarifying Shampoo is sold in a single 250ml variant and has been removed from shelves.

“Customers who have purchased this product should return it to their nearest Woolworths store for a full refund. Proof of purchase is not required,” it said.

Woolworths explained that as part of its quality assurance processes, it identified an issue affecting a batch of the product and initiated additional testing.

Further testing identified the presence of Pluralibacter gergoviae in WBeauty Complete Clarifying Shampoo.

Pluralibacter gergoviae is a bacterial species found naturally in aquatic environments, soil, and plants.

It has gained attention in public health due to its role as a pathogen and its ability to contaminate personal care products.

It acts as an opportunistic bacterial pathogen and poses risks to vulnerable populations, such as immunocompromised individuals.

Post-surgical patients or individuals with open wounds, broken skin, or invasive medical lines are also at risk from this bacterial species.

When Pluralibacter gergoviae enters the body, it can cause skin and soft tissue infections, bloodstream infections, respiratory infections, and urinary tract infections.

The retailer said that the risk related to Pluralibacter gergoviae to healthy individuals is considered low.

However, customers with weakened immune systems are advised to discontinue use of the product to avoid possible bacterial infection.

“We pride ourselves on exceptionally high standards, and we go to great lengths to ensure every item we produce is the quality our customers expect,” it said.

“Product safety is critically important to us, and the well-being of our customers is our first priority.”

WBeauty Complete Clarifying Shampoo

Woolworths described its WBeauty Complete Clarifying Shampoo as a deep-cleansing, clarifying shampoo.

It is designed to remove product build-up and excess oil, with ingredients including witch hazel, apple cider vinegar, activated charcoal and rose geranium oil.

The shampoo is part of Woolworths’ WBeauty haircare range and is manufactured in accordance with its Good Beauty Principles.

Woolworths said the manufacturing covers areas such as formulation, ingredient sourcing, testing, and manufacturing practices.

The products are formulated without sulphates, parabens, and mineral oil, and the range uses a combination of locally sourced ingredients.

These locally sourced ingredients include botanicals and cosmetic ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and peptides.

Woolworths also said that its beauty formulas are assessed by qualified independent toxicologists and accredited laboratories.

It added that its manufacturing practices adhere to vegan-friendly processing standards and are certified by Beauty Without Cruelty.