WHEN STANDARDS REALLY MATTER

COMMENT

The Ministry of Health has dispatched health inspectors countrywide to get rid of unbranded ready-to-eat products, in an effort to curtail one of the worst food borne disease outbreaks our neighbouring South Africa has ever seen.

They had better do a thorough job. Unbranded sliced polony is a definite NO, NO!
At least 183 people have reportedly died from listeriosis since early 2017, raising serious concerns about the possibility of listeriosis contributing to some deaths locally.

We will never know because we are not equipped well enough.
The high number of deaths in South Africa has been attributed to the failure by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Daff) to apply the same safety standards to importers as it applied to local meat producers.

This after fish paste imported to South Africa from Brazil and used in the manufacturing of polony, sausages and other cold meats, was fingered as the possible carrier of the listeria bacteria. 

A serious shortage of health inspectors has also been cited as a contributing factor to the outbreak. Another area of concern is that listeriosis was not among diseases that had to be reported to prevent national outbreaks. Where do we stand. What do doctors have to report locally?

Our health minister is reported to be away at a SADC meeting where the outbreak features on the agenda. Hopefully she will come back with answers on how the country plans to avert the disease through her ministry that is riddled with one crisis to the next.

Currently, it does not inspire much confidence as very capable if we are to wake to news of her personnel declaring babies dead, when they are very much alive. We are tired of hearing about the never-ending drugs shortages.

The greatest danger to our lives is having a government that cannot afford to provide basic facilities that can detect deadly diseases such as listeriosis.

We applaud the shops and supermarkets that have heeded to the ban of the processed meat products.
Our hope, for now, lies in the ability of the local health inspectors to excel where their SA counterparts failed, as they do the rounds to ensure local food manufacturers adhere to the highest health standards possible, as prescribed by law.

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