Listeriosis: As consumers panic and share prices fall, SA waits for answers

As South Africans panic about eating products such as polony, ham and bacon, a high-level meeting to discuss the way forward is under way.

Tiger Brands, which owns the factory that was identified as the source of the listeriosis outbreak, has been engaged in a meeting with the National Consumer Commission, and a press briefing is scheduled for later this afternoon.

Frustrated employees of the Enterprise Group and concerned members of the public voiced their woes over the closure of the Polokwane factory and the possible threat of contamination for those who have consumed the products.

Following the revelation, Tiger Brands, a listed company on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, saw its shares falling by 7%.

The origin of the outbreak

On Sunday, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced that the source of the deadly listerioris outbreak originated in cold-meat products manufactured by the Polokwane factory of Enterprise Foods, a subsidiary of Tiger Brands.

The outbreak has so far claimed the lives of 180 people in the country, the world’s largest outbreak thus far.

Speaking at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Motsoaledi urged consumers to avoid all processed meats which are sold as ready-to-eat cold meats and that all fridges should be cleaned out in case of cross-contamination risks.

Almost immediately, retailers such as Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Shoprite began removing cold-meat products off their shelves following the announcement, with the National Consumer Commission issuing a recall notice in terms of Section 60(2) of the Consumer Protection Act.

“Following the recent announcement by the department of health on the source of the Listeriosis outbreak, and as an additional precautionary measure, we are recalling a limited number of Vienna and cold meats,” Woolworths said in a statement.

According to the institute for communicable diseases, 948 cases have been reported since January 1 2017, with three additional cases recorded since the last update (February 27 2018).

In October 2017, the institute reported an increase in meningitis-related cases as a result of the Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterium which contaminates meat and fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables. “The largest age group affected are neonates with 128 cases (35%), but the majority of cases have occurred in adults 25 years and older (193, 53%),” the institute said.

At risk of being infected are newborn babies under 28 days, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems who have been diagnosed with cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic liver conditions or kidney disease.

Motsoaledi warned that while the infection was treatable, people needed to take precautionary measures.

Political parties respond

Political parties have also responded to the crisis, with the Democratic Alliance calling for stricter measures to be enforced by the health department.

“We call on Motsoaledi to ensure these companies are thoroughly investigated for their role in the crisis and that drastic measures are followed by the food industry to ensure safety of unsuspecting consumers,” the DA’s health spokesperson, Patricia Kopane said today.

The Economic Freedom Fighters have also called on the department of basic education to ensure that food that is sold in schools does not contain items such as polony.

“It is a matter of fact that many lunch meals in our country include these products which have been declared by the minister of health as risky for the spread of listeriosis. We call on school governing bodies as well as learner representative councils to impose strict controls on what gets sold in schoolyards and nearby shops to students,” EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said.

Black First Land First leader Andile Mngxitama tweeted that they would be laying murder charges against Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken.

	Avantika Seeth Multimedia journalist City Press p: +27 11 713 9001 w: www.citypress.co.za  e: avantika.seeth@citypress.co.za
Sign up for City Press' morning newsletter On a Point of Order here