S.A recalls meat products after listeria outbreak

Monitoring Desk

JOHANNESBURG: Major supermarket in South Africa have started removing meat products from their shelves believed to be processed at factories contaminated with Listeria, which has killed 180 people since 2017.

“We are removing products from our stores that may be linked to the Listeriosis outbreak,” Pick n Pay, one of the largest chain stores in the country, said in a statement.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced on Sunday they had traced the source of the Listeria outbreak, the worst in history, to a factory run by Enterprise Foods in Polokwane city, Limpopo province.

He advised fellow countrymen to avoid any processed meat products that are ready to eat such as a popular sausage known as polony and Russians. Listeriosis is a water-borne disease caused by a bacteria found in soil, water, and animal feces. It can contaminate foods that come in contact with it.

Despite, being a serious illness, Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics and prevented by observing personal hygiene such as washing hands before and after preparing food.

Woolworths supermarket has urged its customers to return any cold meat products bought from the store for a refund.

“As an additional precautionary measure, we are recalling a limited number of viennas [sausages] and cold meats,’’ the store said in a statement late Sunday. Another factory run by Enterprise Foods in Johannesburg has been closed.

The majority of Listeriosis cases in South Africa have been reported in Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. AA