Johannesburg - The civil rights organisation AfriForum on Wednesday urged CEOs of South Africa's large fast-food restaurants and supermarket chains to test their food against listeria by themselves, before it is sold to consumers.
This is after Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said the most probable cause the recent outbreak is the contamination of food – probably at farms and food processing plants. Afriforum expressed concern that the minister had still not announced an action plan more than a week after announcing the serious listeria outbreak.
This life-threatening bacterium has claimed 36 lives in South Africa this year from around 557 laboratory confirmed cases. This is eight times higher than the number of confirmed cases annually.
“We requested the various chain stores in writing to urgently take action to protect consumers against listeria as far as possible. Listeria can be treated provided that it is diagnosed early. It can also be prevented if safety measures are taken. Chain stores are furthermore requested to keep consumers informed regarding listeria and preventative measures,” said Marcus Pawson, AfriForum’s Head of Environmental Affairs.
Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. An estimated 1 600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die. The infection is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Listeria can cause fever and diarrhea and symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches