No kota spared in listeriosis outbreak
Township fast-food sellers of kota (the traditional processed-meat quarter-loaf treat) are badly affected as customers react to news of the deadly outbreak — but big restaurant chains seem able to shrug it off
The outbreak of listeriosis, said to have killed more than 180 people nationwide, has been traced to two main culprits in the food processing industry: Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken.The listeria bacterium’s presence in processed meats prompted the health department to issue a nationwide warning on Sunday, March 4 to avoid processed meats emanating from these suppliers.Because these meats are low-cost, they have badly affected the lowest-income households and informal vendors operating in townships. Kota vendors have borne the brunt of the outbreak. The kota is a fast food made of a hollowed-out quarter loaf of bread stuffed with fried chips, various assortments of relishes and sauces and combinations of processed meats including Russians, polony, viennas and frankfurters.Patrick Letsoalo, who owns and runs Skippy Fast Food, a small takeaway in Mandela Village in Pretoria, has felt the devastating effects of the outbreak in his pocket. Prior to the outbreak his midweek cust...
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