Tiger Brands settlement marks closure in 2017 listeriosis tragedy

Tiger Brands

Johannesburg – South Africa’s Tiger Brands, the largest food company in the country, has made an offer to compensate victims of the world’s worst listeriosis outbreak, it said on Monday.

More than 900 people were infected in South Africa and at least 180 died between 2017 and 2018, in an outbreak that was traced to a food factory owned by company.The victims filed a class action suit against the company in 2018.

“Tiger Brands confirms that the attorneys representing its lead insurer have presented a settlement offer to the plaintiffs’ attorney,” it said in a statement.

The settlement offer is “part of a road-map to a possible overall resolution of the listeriosis class action,” it added.

Under the proposal, full compensation will be offered to certain classes of claimants who suffered damage from the contamination.

“The offer is subject to certain conditions and has been made without admission of liability,” it said, adding that names of those accepting the offer will not be made public to protect their privacy.

The victims’ lawyer Richard Spoor said they welcomed “Tiger Brands effective admission of liability”, putting the overall toll at more than 200 people, mostly children.

The settlement “reflects a positive move towards corporate accountability, responsible citizenship and justice for victims,” the law firm said in a statement.

Listeriosis is caused by bacteria from soil, water, vegetation and animal faeces which can contaminate fresh food, notably meat.

Contamination results in a flu-like illness, infection of the bloodstream and, in severe cases, infection of the brain which can prove fatal.

Health authorities said the origin of the 2018 case was Tiger Brands’ subsidiary Enterprise Food plant, 300 kilometres (190 miles) northeast of the South African capital Pretoria.

The factory produced a popular range of ready-to-eat chilled meats including baloney and frankfurter sausages.

Several countries across Africa imposed restrictions on South African meat imports in response to the crisis.

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