“Not the First Time”: SA Disgusted After Chef Allegedly Finds ‘Slime’ in Retail Store’s Juice Box

• A South African content creator revealed that an executive chef for a popular hotel group allegedly found slime in a carton of cranberry juice from a retail giant
• The store compensated the chef with a R1 000 gift card, but the man wanted answers more than anything else
• Local online community members were not impressed with the retailer and shared their experiences of odd discoveries in their products
• A similar situation happened to another local chef, who shared a video of the slimy substance on her TikTok account

A local content creator, Hamzeh Majiet, shared that a chef allegedly found a revolting, brown slime-like substance floating on top of the liquid in his branded Woolworths juice box. The discovery repulsed many South Africans, who claimed to know what it was.

In a video posted on 4 August 2025, Hamzeh stated that the executive chef, who works for a well-known hotel group in South Africa, shared that he was shocked that his discovery was linked to a premium retailer such as Woolworths.

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The content creator also stated that the retail store offered the chef a R1 000 gift card, which the man rejected, as he wanted answers instead.

"This is not the first time we're seeing stuff like this," Hamzeh noted.

"We've seen in the past consumers finding things like fungus and mould in their juice products."

Watch Hamzeh's TikTok video below:

SA reacts to 'slime' in juice box

Many disgusted local social media users shared similar stories of what they discovered in their food products, while others pointed out that the substance wasn't slime but SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast).

@user666702282060 told internet users:

"The food standard in South Africa is dropping. The quality is bad."

@sandra94134 shared their opinion of the retailer:

"Woolies should be fined by the health department. There are way too many issues with their products."

@faizelmatthysen informed South Africans:

"I don't buy any juice in a box. If I can't see my juice, it's a no-no."

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@foh_35 suggested to the public:

"Boil water and wait for it to cool down if you want to drink something."

@motor_magnet wrote in the comment section:

"Does he know he can get compensation AND answers?"

@ramakotaa added with a laugh:

"As someone who enjoys fighting, I would have definitely asked for more than R1 000."

Woman finds 'slime' in different juice box

A similar incident occurred to another chef. However, the substance was allegedly found in an apple-flavoured Liqui Fruit juice box. In the clip she posted on her TikTok account, the woman, named Neo, cut the top of the box to reveal what she had found inside.

She told online community members:

"Please open your juice boxes. This is what we found in a brand new juice box. I mean, we paid for this."

Take a look at her discovery in the TikTok video below:

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3 Other food scandal stories

• In a 2024 article, Briefly News reported that a woman felt sick to her stomach when she allegedly found a chopped-up rat in one of her bread slices from a well-known bread company.
• A woman in Cape Town allegedly found a live frog in her packet of lettuce. The shopper shared the name of the retail giant in her TikTok video.
• A content creator discovered white mould spots throughout a pie she bought for her child at a popular grocery store. Her post sparked health concerns and anger.

Updated by Hilary Sekgota, Human Interest HOD at Briefly News.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News