JOHANNESBURG - Shoprite Group on Friday recalled a batch of Farmer's Deli red viennas packed for the group from its perishable departments.
This follows a notification earlier on Friday from a Winelands District environmental health practitioner after the presence of Listeria monocytogenes was identified in an initial testing of a single batch of red viennas.
Shoprite said that further testing was necessary to confirm the presence of harmful levels of Listeria bacteria, adding that the results of the further testing would take another five working days.
Shoprite removed all Farmer’s Deli Red and Smoked Viennas from its shelves until the products get the all clear as an added precautionary measure.
According to Shoprite, Listeria monocytogenes is not the same as Listeria ST6, which was linked by the Department of Health to fatal listeriosis cases that occurred in South Africa.
READ MORE: #Listeriosis outbreak toll hits 180, says Motsoaledi
Shoprite said that the recall due to Listeria monocytogenes was only found in a single batch and was not linked to the recent Listeria ST6 recall related to Enterprise Foods.
"The production facility where this batch was packed has provided a full record of clean food safety tests which included testing for the presence of Listeria bacteria," it said.
"The Shoprite Group has invited any concerned customers to return purchases of any Farmer's Deli 500g and 1kg red and smoked Viennas products for a full refund. Proof of purchase will not be required."
Shoprite said that it has a team of food scientists and technologists and was working with its suppliers and the Department of Health to do all that is necessary to further contain the outbreak of Listeriosis.
Two weeks ago, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced that the source of the present outbreak which has killed more than 180 people was an Enterprise food product facility in Polokwane.
Listeria was also traced to another Enterprise facility in Germiston on the East Rand, and a Rainbow chicken facility in the Free State, but further tests were needed as the sequence type was not yet known.
Tiger Brands, on behalf of its division Enterprise Foods, decided to recall products that are identified with listeriosis outbreak even though the company is conducting its own tests as well.