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Cape Town - Customers of Shoprite and Checkers are invited to return any Enterprise processed cold meat products and Rainbow Chicken polony for a full refund, the group said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
The products must still be in the original packaging - even if it has been opened - and proof of purchase is not required.
Fin24 reported earlier that, as of Sunday, the listeriosis outbreak has claimed 180 lives and hospitalised a further 1 000. The Polokwane operations of Tiger Brands’ meat producer Enterprise Foods has been identified as the source of the latest outbreak.
The Shoprite Group’s housebrand and private label cold meats, sold under the Housebrand, Ritebrand and Farmer’s Deli brand names, are not affected by recall notices that have been served on Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken.
The group said Shoprite and Checkers' own brands in this category are not manufactured by these two suppliers.
On Sunday supermarkets in the Shoprite Group removed and isolated all affected Enterprise processed cold meats and Rainbow Chicken polony from its fridges and delis. This followed the announcement by Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, after tests linked the listeria monocytogenes ST6 strain positively with these products' supplier manufacturing plants.
The group added it will do all the necessary to help the health ministry contain the listeriosis outbreak, and said it has been working closely with the Department of Health over the past months.
Following the Minister of Health's announcement about a national outbreak of listeriosis last year, the Shoprite Group immediately instituted an enhanced monitoring plan on top of its regular independent audits of store food preparation areas.
Shoprite Group said it has a well-developed risk assessment programme in place that confirms the adherence to food safety and hygiene protocols in its supermarkets.
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