As households around the country dispose of polony and other processed meats in response to the Listeria outbreak, the well-being of waste pickers has come under the spotlight.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is calling on South Africans to be mindful of its informal waste community.

This comes after Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, announced that notices of safe recall had been issued to Enterprise Foods in Polokwane and Rainbow Chicken Limited in Sasolburg due to traces of Listeria being found at these production facilities, the announcement has caused further public concern and outcry since Sunday.

According to , Dr Melanie Samson, a member of the CSIR’s waste pickers research network waste reclaimers (pickers) are finding significant amounts of polony and other processed meats in rubbish bins and eating it as many are not aware of the listeria outbreak.

“The Johannesburg interim reclaimer committee is trying to alert as many reclaimers as possible that they must not eat the polony or uncooked meat products, but they will only be able to reach a small number of reclaimers,” Samson said.

“This will also be an issue all across the country. I think that it is urgent that we all do everything possible to alert waste pickers of listeriosis and the grave dangers of eating this discarded food. They will need to know what not to eat, the symptoms and where to go if they become ill,” she added.

In response to the outbreak and in the interest of safety for the informal waste community the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) has issued a statement highlighting the correct method for consumers to dispose of food that may be contaminated with the fatal bacterium.