Tiger Brands launches food safety campaign after listeriosis outbreak

Following an agreement to start paying out claimants from the biggest listeriosis outbreak in South Africa’s history in 2017, that killed 218 people and resulted in close to 1,000 infections, Tiger Brands has ironically launched a food safety educational campaign. 

In its statement on the launch of the food safety programme, Tiger Brands’ chief manufacturing officer, Praveen Balgobind, said “outside of our safety and quality practices within our production facilities, we have a responsibility as one of the country’s largest food producers to increase consumer knowledge about practices that can help promote their health and wellbeing when preparing and consuming foods, or how to make the best consumption choices”. 

Yet, Logic Manager pointed out on its website that the listeriosis debacle was Tiger Brands’ fifth scandal in 11 years. “Failing to address a known risk is negligence. Failing to identify and mitigate gaps in procedures is ineffective risk management. Allowing your consumers to suffer the consequences of your failure to implement proper governance and oversight is morally reprehensible,” Logic Manager said.

Its campaign aims to “raise awareness about proper hygiene, safe food storage, safe preparation and consumption practices,” it said in a statement. This is a joint effort between Tiger Brands, the Tiger Brands Foundation, and the Department of Basic Education. 

It will be rolled out to “selected schools nationally,” it said. 

The food producer, Africa’s largest, linked the safety initiative to recent “food-related incidents involving school learners in certain parts of the country prompted,” which it said prompted the listed company “to initiate the educational campaign with the aim of preventing potential foodborne illnesses within communities”. 

According to the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), in a January report, there was an “alarming increase in food poisoning cases among children, especially in township, informal settlement, and hostel communities”.

 \Gauteng had 207 reported cases among children since early February 2024, resulting in 10 fatalities. The highest number of cases occurred in Ekurhuleni, followed by the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane. At the same time, foodborne illness outbreaks have been consistently high in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, it said. 

This further emphasised “the critical need for enhanced food safety measures across South Africa, particularly in areas with limited access to health and safety resources,” the HSRC said. 

Tiger Brand’s listeriosis outbreak was traced to Tiger Brands’ Enterprise Foods facility in Polokwane.

IOL