RedHerring Pty Ltd is a well-established market leader in the South African Canned Pilchard Industry. Since our inception, we have been producing premium Private Label Pilchards for Retailer s, Feeding Schemes and high volume consumers in South Africa. We have strong export markets into Sub-Saharan Africa as well.

Most of our pilchards, are caught in the cold clear waters of the Western Cape, and are processed under the strictest hygiene and safety standards, ensuring an end product of the highest quality with an ambient storage life of 3 years from date of Production.

Food Safety is of critical importance to us and every step of production at our factories are closely monitored to ensure that our product range exceeds the highest technical standards. Our Products are ISO22000 compliant, HCCP accredited, and NRCS registered. The canning facilities are accredited as Export Facilities under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing.

All our individual production batches are certified safe for consumption by the NRCS prior to despatch, with NRCS certificates accompanying each load-out.

The above process gives both our factory and end user customers, complete peace of mind that our range of tinned pilchards are safe and healthy.

We regularly send samples of our tinned pilchards to independent laboratories for micro-biological analysis.At all times, food safety is the most critical part of our production. As a major supplier and a crucial link in the South African School Feeding Programme, we take all necessary precautions to ensure that there is full traceability from catch to plate. Our consumers’ wellbeing is paramount as is our dedication to quality.

Food nutrition and heathy eating are issueshave rightly become extremely important and prevalent in today’s market space. It is widely acknowledged by nutritionists and physicians that a diet consisting of fish high in Omega 3 fatty acids is beneficial to health.Our cans clearly state the nutritional information of the ingredients.

Canned Pilchards are an affordable source of protein, high in healthy vitamins and oils and a vital part of health-conscious diet.

Our Pilchards are Green Listed by SASSI and the WWF. We believe strongly in preserving and sustaining our stocks for generations to come.

Sardines are caught using purse-seine nets which are set around a school of fish in the surface to mid-water. Once the school is surrounded, the bottom of the net is closed by a footrope. There is no known damage to the benthic habitat and bycatch of other small fish species ranges between 5-30%. Bycatch tends to consist of adult anchovy, red eyes and horse mackerels.

Sardines are caught mainly off the western Agulhas Bank with possible extension into stock sources on the East and West Coast. Sardines within the Small Pelagic Fishery sector is managed using Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limit, access rights and vessel permits. Management is considered effective and research is attempting to understand the interactions between the small pelagic fishery and the endangered African Penguin.