DURBAN - Tiger Brands told their shareholders on Thursday that the opening of the Enterprise polony factory in Polokwane would depend on calculations of losses.
The company is looking to start production by October 2018.
According to the company, they will use the raw ingredients that they still have in storage including frozen pork.
As of yet, the testing that has been done shows no signs of listeria contamination said Tiger Brands, however, there is still another three months of testing that needs to be done and pork worth R80 million still has to be checked.
Hanging in the balance is product, raw materials, packaging and ingredients worth R103 million that would be used once production starts again. The outbreak of listeriosis which started last year has reportedly cost the company to date R415,2 million excluding trading losses.
It was just two months ago that the presence of the listeria strain was confirmed to be at an Enterprise factory in Polokwane. Tigers Brands said that they were working on rebuilding trust with their consumers before they begin selling polony again.
The company said that the initiatives will be focused on facilitating a national solution to a national crisis and securing sustainable food safety into the future. The company is looking into supporting initiatives that are aimed at better food hygiene and awareness.
Last month the company was hit by a class action lawsuit that was filed by human rights advocate Richard Spoor on behalf of the families that the listeria outbreak had affected.
The Tiger Brands presentation to shareholders said that they were addressing the legal claims around listeriosis sensitively and responsibly and that they want to respond with integrity. honesty and care.
In regards to the claims, the company said that they would respond in their interim results.
Pork industry
The South African pork industry was negatively impacted by the listeriosis outbreak after news that they the strain was confirmed at the Enterprise Polokwane factory.
Johann Kotze, the CEO of the SA Pork Producer's Organisation said that the recall of meat cold cuts and ready to eat meat products negatively affected the pork industry.
The recall was announced by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
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