JOHANNESBURG, March (ANA) - Retailer Pick n Pay has withdrawn all listeriosis-linked food from its shelves, the company said on Sunday.
"Following the minister of health’s announcement earlier this afternoon [Sunday] on the source of the listeria outbreak, Pick n Pay has acted immediately to withdraw all products from the manufacturing sites identified by the department of health," Pick n Pay group executive for strategy and corporate affairs David North said.
Earlier, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said processed food manufacturers Enterprise and Rainbow Chicken Limited (RCL) had been issued with safety recall notices following a lengthy, in depth investigation by scientists into the listeriosis outbreak in South Africa.
Scientists had identified the Enterprise food production facility in Polokwane in Limpopo as the source of the current listeriosis strain ST6 outbreak. Preliminary results showed that several ready to eat processed meat products from the Enterprise facility in Germiston in Gauteng contained listeriosis monocytogenes, but the sequence type was not yet known.
"Investigation of the RCL Wolwehoek [near Sasolburg in the Free State] production facility is also underway. Polony products have tested positive for L. monocytogenes, but the sequence types of the isolates are not ST6," Motsoaledi said.
North said Enterprise and Rainbow supplied a very broad range of retailers across South Africa. All Enterprise products, including the Bokkie, Renown, Lifestyle, and Mieliekip brands had already been recalled by the company concerned and Pick n Pay was urgently withdrawing them from its shops.
"In addition, all ready to eat products, such as polony and russian sausages manufactured at the Rainbow facility in Sasolburg are also being withdrawn. This action is taking place in all Pick n Pay and Boxer stores. In addition, as a precaution, Pick n Pay branded chicken polony, manufactured by Rainbow, is also being withdrawn," he said.
All fridges and food preparation areas in Pick n Pay shops would now be re-cleaned to prevent any cross-contamination. Recalled meat was being isolated and would be safely destroyed.
"The safety of customers is always our top concern. Any customer who is concerned that they may have bought a ready to eat meat product linked to the outbreak can return it to our stores for a full refund,” North said.
Meanwhile, Shoprite also announced on Sunday that it started to remove all ready to eat processed meat products produced by Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken from its perishable departments and delicatessens.
Customers are also invited to return any Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken processed meat (cold meats like polonies, Vienna’s, Russians etc) products they have at home for a full refund.
The Shoprite Group said it was relieved that definite sources of the outbreak have been identified so that consumers now have some peace of mind about their food purchases. It will do all that is necessary to assist the Ministry of Health’s measures to contain the outbreak of Listeriosis.
Following the Minister of Health's announcement about a national outbreak of Listerioses last year, the Shoprite Group immediately instituted an enhanced monitoring plan on top of its regular independent audits of store food preparation areas in an effort to detect if a risk of Listeria was present, given that the bacterium naturally occurs in the environment.
Shoprite Group said that it has a well-developed risk assessment programme in place that confirms the adherence to food safety and hygiene protocols in its supermarkets.
