Food Safety, Allergens and Correct Use

Last updated: 21 September 2026

Vasco Da Gama Peri Peri (Pty) Ltd makes its sauces, spice blends and pickles in a HACCP-compliant facility in Gauteng. Once a product leaves us, how it is stored, opened and used matters just as much. This page tells you what our products contain, how to keep them safe and what to do if something is wrong. Please read it before use; it forms part of our Terms of Service.

1. Allergens

Some of our products contain the following allergens: gluten (from cereals), soya, egg, mustard and sulphites. Allergens are declared on the label and on each product page in line with the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972 and the labelling regulations (R146). Because we make many products in the same facility, traces of these allergens may be present in products that do not list them as ingredients, despite our controls.

  • Always read the full ingredient list and allergen statement on the label of the product you are about to use, every time. Recipes can change between batches and the label is the final word.
  • If you or the person you are cooking for has a food allergy or intolerance, do not rely on a product page, a previous purchase or a conversation with us. If you are unsure, contact us with the batch number before you use the product.
  • Restaurants, caterers and butcheries must carry our allergen information through to their own customers, menus and labels, as the law requires of them.

2. Chilli heat

Our peri peri, hot and chilli sauces contain chilli, and some are extremely hot. Chilli heat is a matter of personal tolerance and is not a defect.

  • Start with a small amount and add more to taste, especially with products marked hot or extra hot.
  • Keep hot sauces and spice blends out of reach of children.
  • Avoid contact with eyes and broken skin. Wash your hands after handling. If sauce gets into your eyes, rinse with plenty of water.
  • Chilli may cause a burning sensation in the mouth, and discomfort in people who are sensitive to it. If you have any health concern or are unsure whether chilli or any listed ingredient is suitable for you, speak to a healthcare professional before use. Nothing on our website or packaging is medical advice.

3. Storage and shelf life

  • Our products are shelf-stable. Store unopened products in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, below 25 °C where possible.
  • Refrigerate after opening and keep the cap or lid tightly closed.
  • Use within the period stated on the label after opening. If no period is printed, use within 30 days of opening for bottled sauces and pickles, and within 14 days for 5L catering sauces, while kept refrigerated.
  • Do not use after the best-before date printed on the pack. Best-before dates apply to unopened products stored as instructed.
  • Never return sauce from a serving container to the original bottle, and do not top up a part-used dispenser with fresh product. Decant only what you need, using clean utensils.
  • Do not use a product if the seal is broken on arrival, the container is bulging or leaking, or the product smells, looks or tastes wrong. Contact us instead.

4. Catering and 5L bulk products

Our 5L tomato sauce, lemon juice, mayonnaise, pink sauce and BBQ basting are intended for commercial kitchens. Once opened they must be refrigerated, covered, dated and used within the period above. Mayonnaise and pink sauce contain egg and must not be left at room temperature during service for longer than good food-hygiene practice allows. Trade customers are responsible for applying their own food-safety systems, temperature controls and stock rotation to our products after delivery.

5. Natural variation

Our products are made from natural ingredients. Colour, thickness and heat may vary slightly between batches, and some sauces may separate on standing. Shake or stir before use. These variations are normal and are not a quality defect.

6. If you suspect a problem with a product

If a product seems spoiled, contaminated, incorrectly labelled, or you believe it has caused an allergic reaction or illness, please do the following. Acting quickly protects you and helps us protect other customers.

  1. Stop using the product and, if anyone is unwell, seek medical attention first.
  2. Keep the product, its cap and packaging. Do not throw it away or empty it, and keep it refrigerated. We may need to collect it for laboratory testing.
  3. Note the batch number and best-before date printed on the label. Without them we cannot trace the batch.
  4. Contact us within 48 hours of delivery, or of noticing the problem, at office@vascodagamaperiperi.com or +27 71 342 8860, with your order number, photos of the product, label and batch number, when it was opened, how it was stored, and what happened.

We will acknowledge your report within 1 working day, open an investigation, check our production and quality records for the batch, and may arrange to collect the product. We will tell you the outcome in writing. If we find a risk to other customers we will withdraw or recall the affected batch and inform the relevant authorities. Where an illness is reported we may ask for a medical report or laboratory result linking the illness to our product, because food-related illness can have many causes and we need to establish the facts fairly.

7. Our responsibility and yours

We are responsible under section 61 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 for harm caused by goods that are unsafe or defective, or that carry inadequate instructions or warnings, and we do not exclude or limit that liability in any way the law does not allow. At the same time, the law and this page place responsibilities on you. We are not responsible for problems caused by:

  • using a product after its best-before date, or beyond the stated period after opening;
  • failure to refrigerate after opening, or storing the product incorrectly;
  • not reading the label or ingredient list, or using a product despite a known allergy to a listed ingredient;
  • mixing, diluting, re-bottling or otherwise altering the product, or using it in a way it is not intended for;
  • contamination after opening through unclean utensils or containers;
  • damage or tampering that occurred after delivery.

If a product is proven to be at fault we will refund or replace it and deal with your claim fairly and promptly, as set out in our Refund Policy.

8. Questions

If you have any question about ingredients, allergens, storage or suitability, contact us before you use the product: office@vascodagamaperiperi.com or +27 71 342 8860, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 16:00.