Enterprise polony factory blamed for listeriosis outbreak

ONE factory has been blamed as the source of the world’s largest outbreak of listeriosis – the Enterprise polony factory in Polokwane‚ Limpopo.

Listeriosis, which causes flu-like symptoms, nausea, diarrhoea and infection of the blood stream and brain, has led to 180 deaths and 948 reported cases since January last year.

“We can now conclude scientifically that the source of the present outbreak is the Enterprise Foods production facility located in Polokwane,” Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told a briefing at the offices of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg yesterday.

Environmental health practitioners‚ members of the Department of Health and World Health Organisation (WHO) technical advisers visited the factory and took samples.

Sixteen samples tested positive for the listeria monocytogenes strain ST6 that caused the outbreak.

The DNA results of the bacteria were confirmed late on Saturday night by the NICD.

“The environmental swabs indicated massive listeria contamination‚” WHO South Africa representative Rufaro Chatora said. Enterprise is a unit of Tiger Brands. Samples from two other factories have tested positive for the listeria bacteria.

The Rainbow Chicken factory in Wolweburg in Sasolburg also had listeria, but it is not the same strain as that linked to the outbreak.

Its polony products have been recalled by the National Consumer Commission.

A second Enterprise factory in Germiston tested positive for listeria‚ but the strain of listeria is not yet known as testing is continuing.

It can take five days of testing to identify the DNA strain.

The two companies were notified yesterday morning that their factories were to blame and products from those factories had to be recalled.

The companies have to stop production and have lost their export licences for now.

NICD head of outbreak response Dr Kerrigan McCarthy said if people had recently eaten Enterprise polony or polony made by Rainbow Chicken‚ they should not panic.

“The vast majority of people who consumed these products will, in fact, be fine,” McCarthy said. “There is no reason to worry.” Listeriosis poses a higher risk for newborns, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems.

Motsoaledi said due to the risk of cross-contamination of other readyto-eat processed meat products, viennas Russians, frankfurters, sausages, and other “cold meat” products that are typically not cooked before eating posed a risk. Cooking food kills listeria. Pick n Pay said it had withdrawn the meat products from its shelves.

“We are urgently withdrawing them from our stores,” Pick n Pay group executive, strategy and corp-

orate affairs, David North said. “All Enterprise products – including the Bokkie, Renown, Lifestyle and Mieliekip brands – have already been recalled by the company concerned and we are urgently withdrawing them from our stores.

“In addition, all ready-to-eat products such as polony and Russian sausages manufactured at the Rainbow facility in Sasolburg are also being withdrawn. As a precaution, Pick n Pay-branded chicken polony, manufactured by Rainbow, is also being withdrawn.

“All fridges and food preparation areas in our stores will now be recleaned to prevent any cross-contamination. Recalled meat is being isolated and will be safely destroyed.”

Checkers said: “We are taking swift action to remove products named by the health ministry as sources of listeria.

“You are most welcome to return any Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken cold meat products for a refund.”

Trade and Industry Department director-general Lionel October said there must have been a drop in the standards of food testing by these companies.

Motsoaledi said it was problematic that health inspectors were employed by municipalities.

These are the people who do random health and safety testing of food production facilities.

Motsoaledi said health inspectors needed to be employed by the national health department and, to do this, the constitution should be changed.

He told consumers to use diluted bleach or Jik to clean their fridges if they had stored polony or other processed meat in them. –