The company has since said tests conducted by an independent laboratory in France showed the facility to be clear of the ST6 strain, which has claimed more than 182 lives in the country. RCL Foods' Stephen Heath said: "Our focus right now is on people and their safety and wellbeing, not on speculation as to what may or may not happen at a business continuity level in the future. Our roots at RCL Foods go back more than 125 years in this country, and we believe that if we continue to work for the good of our loyal customers and thousands of employees, we can restore full confidence in our business and our brands." RCL Foods ran a full-page advert in a daily newspaper yesterday, reading, in part: "Rainbow Fresh and Frozen chicken is safe, reliable and still one of South ­Africa's much loved brands."