Astral Foods Confirms Ammonia Release at Festive Plant; 24 Staff Treated, Facility Declared Safe

Astral Foods confirmed an ammonia release at its Festive processing plant in Olifantsfontein, Gauteng, on November 11, 2026, during contractor maintenance, and said the facility was surveyed and declared safe for processing operations. Engineering News reported the confirmation on November 12.

Inside the Festive Plant Release

Astral Foods is South Africa's largest integrated poultry producer, running a feed-to-processor chain across brands including Goldi, Festive, County Fair, Mountain Valley and Earlybird, according to akta.pro company records. The incident occurred towards the end of the day shift on November 11 while an external contractor was performing maintenance on ammonia safety release and isolation valves.

The plant was immediately evacuated and the relevant authorities were notified. As a precaution, 24 of the 1,472 staff members working in the plant at the time were referred for treatment for suspected minor injuries related to the evacuation and exposure to the ammonia fumes. Sixteen of those employees had been released from hospital as of November 12, with the remaining eight held for observation.

In line with food safety regulations, all work-in-progress food products were removed and discarded. The company did not disclose the volume of product affected. Ammonia is widely used as a refrigerant in food processing facilities, and release incidents are a recognised risk associated with ammonia refrigeration plants.

"The safety and wellbeing of our employees are always a high priority. A full investigation into the incident is under way," the company said. "Astral Foods thanks its employees and the emergency services for their swift response."

Astral Foods' Recent Trading and Labour News

Workers at Astral Foods' Festive chicken operation began an indefinite strike over pay on October 29, 2026, demanding a minimum monthly wage of R13,500, Just Food reported. The company said only about 400 of 2,500 employees were participating, and police declared the strike illegal.

On the same day, BusinessLIVE reported that Astral Foods expects full-year earnings to nearly double, with headline earnings per share rising 95-105% to 4,277c-4,496c and earnings per share up 90-100% year on year. The group cited lower feed costs and higher sales.

In May 2026, Astral Foods reported an 11.4% rise in revenue to R11.9 billion and a 391% increase in profit to R895.5 million for the six months ended March, driven by its poultry division, BusinessLIVE reported.

Astral Foods' November 23 Results Date

Astral Foods' annual results are due November 23, 2026, BusinessLIVE reported.