JOHANNESBURG - South African consumer goods and milling company RCL Foods said on Friday its Wolwehoek polony plant in the Free State province was clear of the listeria strain which the health minister had identified as being responsible for an outbreak of listeriosis.
The company said the finding came after tests conducted by an independent laboratory in France, considered to be a leading expert in the field.
The company recalled ready-to-eat products and temporarily closed the plant as a precautionary measure earlier this month after health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the listeriosis outbreak, which has claimed 180 lives, had been traced to the Wolwehoek plant and Tiger Brand's Enterprise facility in Polokwane.
"RCL Foods will continue to support national efforts that take the message about food safety and listeria to as wide an audience as possible," the company said on Friday.