The National Consumer Commission says preliminary findings, regarding the Shoprite Checkers Deli Hummus range recall, points to areas of concern on product handling at the manufacturing level.
The Shoprite Checkers Group informed the NCC on 16 September of a product recall of the range, and the NCC has now confirmed that Listeria Monocytogenes was detected in samples.
This foodborne bacteria is very dangerous and can lead to Listeriosis disease.
Initially, the retailer only pointed to a ”microbiological contamination” which was found in three batches after routine testing.
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The Deli Hummus range is manufactured by BM Foods (which is a member of Sea Harvest).
The affected products are:
- Traditional Hummus (125g and 300g);
- Reduced Fat Hummus (125g);
- Zataar Hummus (125g and 300g);
- Red Pepper Hummus (125g and 300g); and
- Caramelised Onion Hummus (125g).
The respective sell-by dates of the products are 10 September 2024 to 08 October 2024.
The NCC says it is now awaiting a final report from Shoprite Checkers.
The Commission is also independently investigating the recalled products based on ”identified operational issues that pertain to food safety.”
The NCC’s Acting Commissioner, Hardin Ratshisusu, has again urged consumers to immediately stop consuming the products and return it to the supplier for a full refund with or without any proof of purchase.
He adds while the NCC is not able to determine the extent of the distribution of the products at this stage, suppliers are urged not to distribute these products further until the investigation is finalised.