Listeriosis outbreak
in South Africa
Dave Ford
Chairman: Red Meat Industry Forum
T
he Red Meat Industry Forum has
taken note with concern of the
outbreak of listeriosis as reported
by the Department of Health on 5
December 2017 which could be misleading
with the large number of photos of livestock
portrayed in media coverage thereof. Listeria
monocytogenes is the primary cause of the
illness called listeriosis. This bacterium is
widely distributed in nature and has been
found in soil, water, sewage, mud, silage and
decaying vegetation. It has been isolated
from humans, a wide variety of healthy and
diseased animals and birds, animal products,
fresh produce such as vegetables and fruit,
food packaging and processing environments.
Listeriosis in Red Meat
Although red meat is seldom a source of
infection and although this bacterium is
destroyed through proper cooking, the
outbreak highlights the responsibility of the
red meat industry to provide for proper and
improved hygiene during the production,
processing, packing and preparation of red
meat and red meat products. It is also the
responsibility of the consumer to ensure that
cross contamination does not occur between
cooked and raw products or from human
hands and equipment. Listeria presents a
concern in respect to food handling, because it
can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
Listeriosis awareness at the abattoir during
the processing of livestock to meat at the
abattoir, attention is given to slaughter
procedures, personnel hygiene and
sterilization of equipment to minimize
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
bacterial contamination during this process.
Furthermore, meat inspection of each animal
and carcass ensure the health of the animal
and removal of any possible contamination
that might have occurred. Microbiological
testing of water, product, contact surfaces and
hands is a prerequisite at a registered abattoir
in terms of the Meat Safety Act, 2000 and
supporting regulations.
It is therefore imperative that the consumer
ensures that the meat they purchase is
sourced only from registered abattoirs that
have an Independent Meat Inspection Service
and that once purchased the cold chain is
maintained always; as well as to avoid eating
raw or under cooked meat products.
The World Health Organization’s five keys to
food safety:
• Keep clean. Wash your hands before
handling food and often during food
preparation.
• Separate raw and cooked food. If you
are handling or storing raw food, do not
touch already cooked food unless you
have already washed your hands and food
preparation utensils.
• Cook food thoroughly. Food that does not
usually need cooking before eating should
be washed thoroughly with clean running
water.
• Keep food at safe temperatures.
• Use safe water for domestic use always or
boil before use.
The Red Meat Industry Forum remains
committed to building and maintaining the
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