Companies that tamper with sell-by labels can be criminally prosecuted and fined.
Current affairs TV show Carte Blanche on Sunday night showed butchery franchise Meat World allegedly selling spoiled meat and relabeling products to extend their sell-by date.
National Consumer Commission spokesman Trevor Hattingh said relabeling products is an offence in terms of section 110 of the Consumer Protection Act. If businesses are found guilty they can be fined R1-million and 10% of their annual turnover.
Meat World said on its Facebook page on Monday that it takes Carte Blanche's allegations "very seriously". "We have begun immediate investigations. We will release a statement as soon as possible to update our valued customers on the situation."
Meat World CEO Angelino Pereira said: "We will do everything in our power to restore our customers' faith in our brand."
Gerhard Schutte, CEO of the Red Meat Producers' Organisation, said the allegations were "unacceptable" and that a business guilty of them would be shooting itself in the foot.
"The consumer determines where he buys ... if he does not have trust in a business it will suffer."