Rwanda lifts ban imposed after 2017 South African Listeria outbreak
Rwanda has lifted a ban imposed in 2017 on some South African food products due to a Listeria outbreak that sickened more than 1,000 people.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources said the sanctions were intended to protect public health against Listeria monocytogenes.
A notice suspending the importation of meat, dairy products, fruits and vegetables from South Africa was issued in December 2017.
The listeriosis outbreak began in 2017 and ended in September 2018, with 1,065 confirmed cases and at least 218 deaths.
People have been infected after eating a contaminated ready-to-eat meat product called polony, manufactured at a factory in Polokwane by Enterprise Foods. Polony is similar to Bologna. At the time, Enterprise Foods was owned by Tiger Brands, but the company was sold in 2020.
At least 12 countries have recalled implicated processed meat products and banned imports, while three countries have also suspended imports of other food products.
Class Action Status
The Department of Agriculture and Animal Resources said the ban was lifted following thorough verification and confirmation by the relevant authorities of the listeriosis situation in South Africa.
The agency added that it appreciates the cooperation of importers, traders and the public during the precautionary measure.
Earlier this year, Tiger Brands made an undisclosed settlement offer to some victims of the listeriosis outbreak. The conditional agreement was concluded without acknowledgment of liability.
The offers were aimed at members of specific categories of claimants who suffered damage from listeriosis caused by a certain genotype. This included claimants who contracted – or whose mothers contracted – listeriosis caused by sequence type (ST) 6. Other categories were claimants whose legal breadwinners, on whom they were legally dependent, died from listeriosis caused by ST6; and applicants whose legal dependents were in their care and who contracted listeriosis caused by ST6.
In February 2025, Tiger Brands offered interim relief in the form of advance payments to applicants with urgent medical needs. The company also said it was exploring a resolution to the entire class-action lawsuit.
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