Cape Town - Retailer Woolworths has removed three children's t-shirts from its shelves because the pom-pom detail on them could potentially contain fur.
"Woolworths would like to advise their customers that it was alerted to the potential use of animal fur in the pom-pom trims on three children’s t-shirts," the retailer said in a statement.
"With immediate effect, the product was removed off the shelf, pending further investigation. Independent testing was commissioned and has confirmed that the fibre used in the pom-pom trim is indeed animal fur.
"Woolworths is committed to animal welfare. It is our ethical obligation to ensure that the animals in our supply chain are treated in the most humane way possible. On this basis, Woolworths policies state that no animal fur may be used in any of our products. Woolworths takes this responsibility incredibly seriously and has therefore taken the decision to recall these products from the market.
"Woolworths Animal Welfare policies form part of our contractual agreements with our suppliers to which they are obligated to adhere. In this instance, our supplier purchased trims from a 3rd party based on our synthetic specifications and did not test whether the fibre was synthetic or from animal fur. They are now placing additional emphasis on managing these sourcing processes better.
"We would like to sincerely apologise to our customers for this disappointing incident. This does not reflect the high standards we have set for ourselves. In light of this incident, we will reinforce our policies governing Animal Welfare to ensure further awareness at all levels and add additional controls and testing to ensure this does not happen again.
"This incident is related to the three t-shirts, of which 1 276 were sold collectively:
FLAMINGO TEE (503898756) ALL SIZES (2-9)
LETS ROLL TEE (503972536) ALL SIZES (9-15)
MILKSHAKE TEE (503916888) ALL SIZES (9-15)
"Customers who have purchased these products can return them to our stores for a full refund. Should customers want further information, they can contact the customer care line 0860 022 002," Woolworths said.
Adapted from a press release.
Cape Argus