Cape Town - South Africans have expressed shock, outrage and fear after the government narrowed down the source of the deadly listeriosis outbreak in South Africa to an Enterprise Foods facility.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the recent outbreak was traced to Enterprise's Polokwane facility after several children presented with gastroenteritis in Soweto earlier in the week.

Read: Listeriosis: EFF warns education authorities to check pupils' food

Motsoaledi said polony was a definite source of the disease. However, he warned that products such as Viennas, Russians, Frankfurters, other sausages and cold meats which are not typically cooked, could also be affected due to the risk of cross-contamination.

READ: No polony: Everything we know so far about the listeriosis outbreak

Here is how South Africans have reacted to the news:

This is sad because I lost my son in December due to this.I feel like the Department of Health and Enterprise Foods failed all the people who were and are affected by this???? #Listeriosis https://t.co/22tDo3Ade9

— MosadiWaMotswana (@conzam1) March 4, 2018

Next time the department of health should not waste time focusing on Street Vendors and Small Businesses as source of outbreak of any disease but simultaneously visit the big corporate companies who compromise quality in their processing plants #Listeriosis

— Ndzavi Derrick | CBA (@NdzaviDerrick) March 5, 2018

Guys this #Listeriosis pandemic is scary because we don't even know what our children are eating and sharing with each other at school. Eish

— Hamilton Gladile (@TheHamiltonG) March 5, 2018

Everyone who has lost a family member to #Listeriosis needs to come together, go to legal aid and have 1 big class action law suite

Bread winners have died, families have lost money on funerals because 1 company was negligent
CC people's advocate @AdvDali_Mpofu @EFFSouthAfrica

— Doctor XYZ, Head of 123 (@Fi_ooh_na) March 5, 2018

All these diseases affect the poor the most. The poor send the kids to school with polony/cold meat as lunch. They rely on that polony to stretch and feed as many of the kids as possible. Finding other foods is easier said than done. Apart from a few spreads. Sad. #Listeriosis

— Nobleman (@WayneHarper_) March 5, 2018

Not only the products must be recalled but the person(s) responsible for this must be held accountable too. It's people's lives we're talking about here & no stone must be left unturned in the investigation.#Listeriosis pic.twitter.com/Kyc004sJXS

— KatlehoMK ???? (@KatlehoMK) March 5, 2018

Can @HealthZA explains what #Listeriosis is in indigenous languages to the People @GCSI @eNCA @sabcnews communication need to be simple as possible especially those affected still don't know

— Amos Tabane CM(SA) (@RealAmosTabane) March 5, 2018

So @TigerBrands outlets sends security guards to talk to people who r returning recalled products.Where's your corporate affairs ppl? #reputationmanagement it's at stake. Worry about customers 1st share price will recover not other way round #enterprise #Listeriosis

— Amos Tabane CM(SA) (@RealAmosTabane) March 5, 2018

But I dont understand this #Listeria #ListeriosisOutbreak. It has been existing since Jan 2017. They only trace the source in March 2018. So it is been a year or more sitya into zakwa Enterprise. What change will throwing them back make? Sesifile moss klaar

— Nwabisa (@NwabeeM) March 5, 2018

A colleague just told me she stopped consuming Rainbow Chicken products after she inspected one of their factories some years ago as a QA Inspector. Quality standards compliance dololo. Sidliswa amanyala nje. #ListeriosisOutbreak

— Cebile Xulu (@MsXulu) March 5, 2018

The minister doesn't want to take accountability. Health is a serious problem in South Africa, now we have to look elsewhere for help when we have graduates that are capable of identifying such problems of the Literiosis outbreaks. @eNCA #ListeriosisOutbreak

— @KG_212 (@SNtelele) March 5, 2018

So on edge about the #ListeriosisOutbreak and the food source...

Kids in day care are most vulnerable because these ready to eat meats are usually part of their daily meals..

— ??Gogo Esme???? (@Leboux_M) March 5, 2018

Do owners of #enterprise and #rainbowchicken eat their own products? If so, how could they allow such a lapse in safety? If not, why do they feed others things they themselves don't eat?
Something to chew on, pub intended. #ListeriosisOutbreak

— Rams Mabote (@RamsByTheHorns) March 5, 2018

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