The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says the Farmers Deli Vienna product is infested with the dangerous listeriosis and has therfore warned Ghanaians not to patronise it.

Listeria monocytogenes is typically a food-borne organism which causes the illness called listeriosis and can grow and reproduce inside the host cell.

“The FDA would like to alert the general public that “FARMERS DELI VIENNA” products have been affected by the Listeria Bacteria and therefore are on FULL RECALL regardless of their batch,” the Authority said in a statement.

The FDA statement said it has intensified its post market surveillance activities nationwide, and has also intensified vigilance at the various ports of entry to detain Farmers Deli Vienna products from South Africa.

Consequently the FDA is appealing to the general public not to patronise any “FARMERS DELI VIENNA” product should they find the products on the market.

Below is the full statement

PUBLIC NOTICE – LATEST ALERT ON LISTERIOSIS OUTBREAK IN SOUTH AFRICA LINKED TO READY-TO-EAT MEAT PRODUCTS

The Food and Drugs Authority, (FDA) has been given further updates by the International Network of Food Safety Authorities (INFOSAN), which shares Food safety alerts with member states, on other Foods that have been contaminated by the Listeriosis outbreak in South Africa.

The FDA would like to alert the general public that “FARMERS DELI VIENNA” products have been affected by the Listeria Bacteria and therefore are on FULL RECALL regardless of their batch.

The FDA has therefore intensified its post market surveillance activities nationwide and has intensified vigilance at the various ports of entry. All “FARMERS DELI VIENNA” products from South Africa would be detained and the necessary regulatory actions taken.

Consequently the FDA is appealing to the general public not to patronise any “FARMERS DELI VIENNA” product should they find the products on the market.

Listeria monocytogenes is typically a food-borne organism which causes the illness called listeriosis and can grow and reproduce inside the host cell. Listeria is a bacterium that is naturally found in the environment and is capable of surviving with or without oxygen. It therefore has the ability to survive and grow at temperatures as low as 0°C thereby allowing multiplication at refrigeration temperatures.

It commonly occurs in soil, water, vegetation and in the faeces of some animals. Listeria monocytogenes has been associated with foods such as raw milk, pasteurized fluid milk, cheeses (particularly soft-ripened varieties), ice cream, raw vegetables, fermented raw-meat sausages, raw and cooked poultry, raw meats (of all types), and raw and smoked fish. This fact, coupled with variable incubation period can range from 6 hours to 70 days.

The prevention of listeriosis is similar to guidance used to help prevent other foodborne illnesses. This includes practicing safe food handling and following the WHO Five Keys to Safer Food (1. Keep clean. 2. Separate raw and cooked Food. 3. Cook and reheat thoroughly. 4 Keep food at safe temperatures. 5. Use safe water and raw materials.)

Additionally, persons in high risk groups should:

Avoid consuming ready to eat meat products such as sausages, hams, patés and meat spreads.

Read and carefully follow the shelf life period and storage temperatures indicated on the product label to ensure that products are not labeled “FARMERS DELI VIENNA”

It is important to respect the shelf-life and storage temperature written on labels of ready-to-eat foods to ensure that bacteria potentially present in these foods does not multiply to dangerously high numbers. Cooking before eating is another very effective way to kill the bacteria.

The FDA is assuring the public of its continuous resolve to protect public health and safety and is appealing to the general public to notify the FDA immediately of any sightings of this product on the market by giving information to the FDA on the following numbers and social media platforms;