Listeriosis: Consumers urged to be careful how they dispose of products
The Consumer Goods Council has urged consumers to return all processed
meats possibly contaminated with listeriosis and not to dispose of it themselves.
The council’s Matlou Setati says disposing of products without taking all safety measures into consideration may lead to environmental contamination.
The current outbreak of listeriosis in South Africa has left 180 people dead.
According to the Department of Health, the number of reported listeriosis cases has risen from 727 in 2017 to 948 in 2018.
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The listeriosis outbreak has been traced back to an Enterprise Foods manufacturing plant in Polokwane. A Rainbow Chicken facility in Sasolburg in the Free State and another Enterprise plant in Germiston have also been linked to the outbreak.
Setati says consumers need to read up on the products they buy, and that it is always advisable to rather shop for non-perishable goods.
“All processed foods in the refrigerator should be stored at two to four degrees,” says Setati.
She further adds the freezer it should be set to minus eight degrees Celsius.
“Consumers must be aware when they cutting polony on a cutting board not to use the same cutting board to cut other products,” says Setati.
Listen to the full interview here: