Shoprite recalls Enterprise, Rainbow meats
The health ministry confirmed on Sunday an Enterprise factory as the source of the deadly disease.
Shoprite and Checkers have removed all the processed cold meats, produced by Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken, from its shelves, the company confirmed on Monday.
This after Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi identified the Enterprise factory in Polokwane as the source of the listeriosis outbreak, which has so far claimed the lives of 180 people.
The company says it started clearing shelves on the same day as the minister's announcement.
"We bagged and tagged them, as we call it in retail, and we put it in a demarcated area in our back-ups, ready for the supplier to come and uplift," says Shoprite Group spokesperson Arno Abeln.
He adds their private label cold meats are still available on shelves as they are not affected, while they have also invited customers to return the products for a refund.
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Enterprise has also promised consumers a full refund for their products.
On Monday afternoon, Enterprise CEO Lawrence MacDougall, announced a full recall of all the products that came from the two implicated facilities.
He told reporters the department has only asked it to recall three products, but "as a consumer conscious organisation, we are being extra vigilant and cautious, and we are withdrawing all products produced out of those two facilities".
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi on Sunday also linked another Enterprise factory in Germiston and a Rainbow Chicken factory in Sasolburg to the disease.
RCL Foods, the company that owns Rainbow, says it has suspended all production at the Wolwehoek processing plant.
The company says "it is in the process of recalling all Rainbow polony products from its entire customer base" despite not receiving the results of the listeriosis tests at its facility.
Enterprise's share prices dropped by around seven percent overnight as the news was confirmed.
The stocks were trading at R393 a share on Monday afternoon.
At the time of the briefing, MacDougall said he was unable to confirm the financial implications, including the costs of the recall.