Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya has announced the lifting of the ban on the importation of ready to eat foods from South Africa following the outbreak of listeriosis in that country.
Dr Chilufya stated that following the outbreak of listeriosis in South Africa, Government came up with several interventions and guided by the Food and Drugs Act and the Public Health, imposed a ban on the importation of risky goods from South Africa.
He stated that investigations have revealed no presence of listeria Monocytogenes in the sampled foods and hence the decision by government to lift the ban.
“We therefore have decided to lift the ban on the importation of foods from South Africa with the exception of the risky foods from Enterprise Food Ltd and Rainbow Enterprises Company.”
Dr Chilufya however said that in the meantime, disease surveillance would be escalated to ensure that good safety was guaranteed for Zambians.
Some of these things do not even need government instruction. Depending on your conviction as a consumer you could simply change your lifestyle and sidestep these things. I am glad I was never big on cold meats in the first place! The little I entertained is permanently off my list.
Is this government serious? Zambia will now be the dumping ground for rejected South African cold meats. Because noone is buying them in South Africa. We will soon see a case of listeriosis in Zed
Miss Harp why should we blame the government for everything. If the south Africans can stop eating their cold meats why should you not do the same. Are they donating to you, or you are using your own earned money to buy? What is going to happen to you if you don’t buy?
Why they need government intervention is because you may not be buying those affected foods but the other food that you buy might just through cross contamination be affected. You bought Cheese that was stored next to the contaminated polony in the fridge and the cheese gives you listeriosis. Government has to protect you!
Indeed bo Kalok. I for one have actually BANNED my children and other close relatives in Zambia to STOP touching and eating such “ready to eat” poisons but rather, to prepare their own foods and avoid premature death. All those foreign companies in the country including the so-called ZAMBEEF (matumbo and ififu) don’t mean well when it comes to meats they are importing into Zambia. Their aim is to rake in as much money as possible regardless.
Cold meat is mainly overheat leftover crap from the slaughter house which is then treated with a concoction of chemicals to smell palatable.
I remember back in the day when i used to eat meat/pork as a kid and look forward to my Dads trip from Galuni farms butcher where he always brought back tasty polony…which was sliced instore made from 100% steak meat not 30% as is done today.