JOHANNESBURG - Botswana on Monday recalled imports of processed meat products from South Africa after a deadly listeria outbreak was linked to a factory there, the ministry of health said in a statement.
Botswana’s move follows a similar ban by Mozambique and Zambia in the wake of the outbreak that has claimed 180 lives in South Africa.
Tiger Brands briefed the media on the listeriosis outbreak at their offices in Sandton, Johannesburg.
TAKING ACTION: A supermarket staff member removes all Enterprise processed meat products from its shelves after a customer returned one of them yesterday.
The company has been forced to recall all their products from retail shelves after the Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, ordered a recall on of processed meat manufactured by Enterprise and Rainbow.
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Tiger Brands CEO Lawrence MacDougall began the media briefing by admitting that “any loss of life is devastating” for the company. On February 2, a delegation by Tiger Brands visited the Enterprise factory in Polokwane.
Tiger Brands has asked consumers to remove any Enterprise ready-to-eat meat products from their fridges and place in a plastic bag - away from other foods. Picture: Karen Sandison/African News Agency/ANA
MacDougall said that they have their own micro-laboratories at Enterprise factory in Polokwane and samples were sent to an external laboratory for the identification of the strain found in the listeriosis disease.
MacDougall noted that the results are only expected before the end of the day. The initial results that Enterprise received showed that the bacteria were negative.