Tiger Brands assures bread safe for consumption, for now
Tiger Brands says at this stage they see no known threat or risk to the safety of bread made at its Durban Albany Bakery, after staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
The company has confirmed that a dozen employees who work in the bakery's administration block have been infected.
Management has subsequently temporarily closed the bakery.
The workers who have tested positive are said to be self-isolating.
Company spokesperson, Nevashnee Naicker says none of the affected employees worked in the direct production of bread or delivery.
"We completely understand that consumers may be worried about the safety of bread from this facility. Our bread manufacturing process is highly automated - from mixing, to baking, to slicing, to sealing into tamper-proof bags and crating."
"This includes isolation and sanitizing of the packaged product, all surfaces in the factory and all delivery trucks," said Naicker.
READ: SA's COVID-19 death toll climbs to 48
Naicker says bread made in the facility on Wednesday has not been dispatched to stores.
"When it comes to the transmission of coronavirus through food, we are guided by the research from the department of health and the NICD. According to the WHO, the NICD and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), there is currently no evidence that food is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus."
"The World Health Organisation has stated that experiences from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses shows that transmission through food consumption did not occur," said Naicker.
