Listeria
Tiger Brands revenue falls short after challenges at meat unit
Tiger Brands had to suspend operations at its cold meat facilities last year in response to a deadly listeria outbreak, which resulted in recall and related...
The listeriosis outbreak, the infection caused by the bacteria, killed more than 200 people in South Africa last year and was traced back to a factory run by Tiger Brands-owned Enterprise Foods.
A California avocado grower and distributor has voluntarily recalled its product from six states due to concerns about possible contamination with listeria, bacteria that can cause severe illness in some people.
The reassurance from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries comes a month after Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi also announced that there is no longer listeria in South Africa.
Tiger Brands said on Friday it had re-opened a facility that was closed after South Africa’s biggest food producer was implicated in the world’s largest outbreak of listeria which killed more that 200 people.
Last week, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced that the new incident rate had dropped to pre-outbreak levels.
The retail giant’s reputation has been shattered after it was found to be the source of the listeriosis bacteria in March this year.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the end of the listeriosis outbreak does not mean the disease has disappeared.
At least 180 people died from the food-borne disease earlier this year.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says several departments and regulators are currently reviewing the existing food control system.
Woolworths says none of their other frozen sweetcorn or vegetable products is affected.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases reports the number of reported listeriosis cases across the country is steadily decreasing.
The Money Show’s Bruce Whitfield interviewed Tiger Brands CEO Lawrence MacDougall.
The country’s biggest food producer suspended production at its Polokwane, Germiston, Pretoria and Clayville sites in March.
Since ready-to-eat products from the food company have been recalled, the number of cases has decreased.
Tiger Brands says that by the time its Enterprise products are back on the shelves, it will be safe for consumption, saying that it is doing everything it can to manage the listeria outbreak.
Tiger Brands has released a statement saying independent laboratory tests confirmed the LST 6 strain in a sample of ready to eat processed meat products.
Tiger Brands' Mary-Jane Morifi says the company wants health regulators to come up with new food standards following the listeriosis outbreak.
An application for a class action lawsuit was filed in the High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday morning.