Meat at Gauteng abattoir tests positive for listeria pathogen

I have been advocating for a healthier lifestyle for South Africans and this includes Exercise, a positive mindset , a healthy diet which excludes #Meat & most #Dairy ! I flipped & also felt sad when I heard about the recent outbreak of listeria in Tshwane ! I know it’s going to be a case of “Pointing fingers” where one blames the other ! But I really hope people learn to protect themselves by avoiding such foods Just to lessen their chances of such bad mishaps !

But for those who don’t know … here’s some research:

A Gauteng abattoir has been prohibited from selling meat after samples taken from it tested positive for the listeria pathogen, the Gauteng Health Department said on Saturday.

In a statement, Gauteng Health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa said the abattoir in the Tshwane area was tested after the food sample of a listeriosis patient was traced there.

“Based on the discovery, the prohibition notice has been issued to the abattoir in terms of Regulations 4 (3) of Regulations governing the General Hygiene for food premises and the transport of food for preparing food to the identified abattoir.
WHAT IS LISTERIOSIS :

Listeriosis is food poisoning caused by eating foods contaminated with the Listeriamonocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) bacterium. In pregnant women, the infection can result in miscarriage, premature delivery, serious infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

The symptoms of listeriosis include -fever

-muscle aches

-nausea

-diarrhea.

If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur. But infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness.

PROTECTION FROM LISTERIA:

How can we protect ourselves from this infection?

There is no vaccine or pre-exposure prophylaxis that can prevent infection. The main preventive measure is good basic hygiene, and proper, safe food preparation and storage.

Unlike most other food-borne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes can grow in refrigerated foods that are contaminated. To prevent this, fridge temperatures should be set below 4⁰C; and freezer temperatures below -18⁰C.

Those at high risk of listeriosis should avoid:

Raw or unpasteurised milk, or dairy products that contain unpasteurised milk,
Soft cheeses like feta, goat cheese and brie,
Foods from delicatessen counters like prepared salads and cold meats that have not been heated and reheated adequately,
Refrigerated pâtés/ meat spreads

#MeatFreeLife

Shall we try excluding #Meat & #Dairy from our diet this year ? Let’s reprogram the palate , let’s change !

Yes / No ?

#KHAFS #Listeria #Health #Food