Listeriosis (Listeria)

 

March 2018

 

Supermarkets in the Shoprite Group have immediately this afternoon (Sunday, 04 March 2018) started to remove all ready to eat processed meat products produced by Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken from its perishable departments and delicatessens, following the announcement by the Minister of Health today that the NCC has issued these manufacturers with notices to recall all products produced in their Polokwane, Germiston and Free State factories respectively and to cease production as a result of tests linking the Listeria monocytogenes ST6 strain positively with these plants.

Customers are also invited to return any Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken processed meat (cold meats like polonies, Vienna’s, Russians etc) products they have at home for a full refund.  

The Group said it was relieved that definite sources of the outbreak has been identified so that consumers now have some peace of mind about their food purchases. It will do all that is necessary to assist the Ministry of Health’s measures to contain the outbreak of Listeriosis.

Following the Minister of Health's announcement about a national outbreak of Listerioses last year, the Shoprite Group immediately instituted an enhanced monitoring plan on top of its regular independent audits of store food preparation areas in an effort to detect if a risk of Listeria was present, given that the bacterium naturally occurs in the environment.

Shoprite Group said that it has a well-developed risk assessment programme in place that confirms the adherence to food safety and hygiene protocols in its supermarkets.

 

Consumer Goods Council of South Africa  (CGCSA) Statement on the recall directive announced by the Department of Health.