Cold meat industry blocked compulsory specifications for 4 years

JOHANNESBURG - Parliament has responded with shock to revelations that the cold meat industry blocked compulsory specifications on processed meats for four years by complaining about high levies.

The revelation comes in the wake of a listeriosis outbreak that has led to the death of 183 people in South Africa and which has been traced to cold meats.

READ: South Africa's listeriosis outbreak the largest recorded: WHO

In a statement, Parliament said it's Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry heard from the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) that no compulsory specifications exist for processed meat products and that the NRCS only regulates canned goods and not processed meat products.

According to the statement, a standard was developed with the view to regulate meat products; however, due to disagreements with the industry, the regulation was referred back to the Department of Health.

The committee heard that the final draft of the processed meat compulsory specifications was accepted during a full stakeholder meeting on 7 March 2014; however, the industry argued that the operational costs for levies presented were too high. A levy sub-committee comprising members from the manufacturers association, the South African Meat Processors Association, retailers, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, the South African National Consumer Union and the NRCS was subsequently set up to further deliberate and come up with a solution. No agreement was reached.

Committee Chairperson, Joanmariae Fubbs, said: “This is absolutely shocking. What is the cost of a human life? This type of behaviour from the industry cannot be tolerated.”

Fubbs requested the names of the associations and/or retailers that were averse to the levies.

UPDATE: African countries ban imports of South African processed meat products

The committee further noted with grave concern that the hygiene requirements were not part of this proposed regulation and will only be covered in the general requirements for all foodstuffs under the Department of Health.

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) ordered a recall of affected goods on 4 March 2018. The NCC was concerned about the disposal of products and called for incineration as bacteria can also be transferred to the soil.

eNCA

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