An Update from the Chair and MD

Nicola Taylor • December 13, 2024

Update Regarding Products from Eswatini Kitchen

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:


  1. We will be in touch in the next week to confirm credit note/refund process for affected stock that you have ordered
  2. Please destroy any remaining stock you have
  3. If you sell stock on, please display the recall notice you will be emailed for your customers to see.


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, with guidance from Food Standards Scotland, 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:


  1. 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
  2. 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

By Angus Coull March 26, 2025
After six years of leadership, Mary Popple has retired from her role as Chair of the True Origin Board to assume the role as an ordinary board member. She leaves a legacy of steadfast, values-led leadership, resilience and commitment to Fair Trade during a period of significant transition for the social enterprise. First appointed to the True Origin Board in 2013, Mary became the first woman to take on the role of Chair in April 2019. Her journey into the position was shaped by a successful career in the IT industry and a passion for Fair Trade. Mary was an active member of the influential St Andrews Fair Trade group which successfully campaigned to designate the town as a Fairtrade area, and for The Open Golf championship to become the first UK sports tournament to commit to using Fairtrade products. This was complemented with over twenty years’ experience of involvement in other trade justice and development opportunities for women. During her six-year tenure as Chair of the True Origin board, Mary strategically led the social enterprise through a challenging external environment at a challenging time for many small businesses. Less than a year into her new role, the Covid pandemic emerged, causing significant uncertainty for staff, producers and customers as well as disruption in global supply chains. The war in Ukraine and cost-of-living crisis soon followed. Despite the challenges, under Mary’s leadership, True Origin generated over £2.3million in sales income that included £733,000 worth of Kilombero rice from Malawi. That’s equivalent to 245 tonnes or nearly 5 million servings of rice! The sale of the rice provides families in Malawi, one of the least developed countries in the world, with sustainable incomes and better food security. Mary played an instrumental role in rolling out the social enterprise’s rebrand and positioning the organisation as the go-to place for fair and fine products under the new True Origin banner. The product range subsequently increased during her tenure, solidifying True Origin’s reputation in the fine foods market. New products included a range of condiments such the soon-to-become both a customer favourite and one of Mary’s favourite products, sun-dried fig balsamic reduction as well as the popular beer bread of which over 150,000 packets were sold during her term. Mary’s leadership as Chair will also be remembered for her values-led approach, guiding the organisation to decisions with its founding fair trade principles in mind and the interests of producers always at the forefront. She invested time in expanding the board’s skillset and further developing the organisation’s robust governance procedures, upholding True Origin’s commitment to transparency with its stakeholders and leaving the organisation in a strong position to tackle future challenges. She also brought an instinctive knowledge of Fair Trade customers in Scotland and beyond to the role.
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