Tiger Brands wants health regulators to come up with new food specifications and regulations following the listeriosis outbreak, EWN reports.
The company – whose products were recalled by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi about a month ago after it was discovered that they were the source of the outbreak – is reported as saying the process of cleaning its factories until they meet international standards will not be rushed.
Two of the company’s food production factories, one in Polokwane and another in Germiston, were shut down after the discovery of the ST6 outbreak strain of listeriosis.
EWN reports that the two production facilities remain closed.
A representative from the company, Mary-Jane Morifi is quoted as saying: “Should we not be looking at the review and relook at what standards are going to be created, taking into consideration the unique South African context.”
Last week at a parliamentary briefing on the listeriosis outbreak and the recall of certain products by retailers, Minister of Trade and Industry (dti) Rob Davies said regulations and compulsory specifications should be developed as a matter of urgency to ensure public health is not compromised and an outbreak such as listeriosis is averted.
The briefing was held collectively by the dti and the departments of agriculture, forestry and fisheries (Daff) and of health (DoH).
Davies said the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) should develop a compulsory standard to ensure that food producers in the country adhere to those requirements.
Daff Minister Senzeni Zokwana said at the briefing that the academia had suggested that a European Union (EU) international benchmark off 100 CFUs should be used to determine if listeriosis would be allowable.
However, he said a committee of different stakeholders that would develop standards that would be responsive to South Africa’s unique challenges and dynamics would have to be established.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has said there is sufficient evidence linking Enterprise and Rainbow products to the outbreak.
An estimated over 180 people have died and close to a thousand cases have been reported since the outbreak.
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