Published: 19 March 2018

A unit of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) listed Dairibord Holdings Limited (DHL) has issued a statement assuring its stakeholders that its products are safe for human consumption.

This follows the outbreak of listeria in South Africa, which has caused panic, as it has resulted in the loss of lives.

Dairibord Zimbabwe (Private) Limited (DZPL), the flagship of DHL, said the best known way of destroying listeria bacterium was through
heating food.

It said all its dairy and dairy-related foods and beverages were free of the listeraia bacterium.

"Our products are subjected to high temperatures during processing, that is, pasteurisation, sterilisation and ultra high temperature treatment in order to destroy harmful pathogens and heat resistant bacteria, which may be a threat to human health if consumed.

"Furthermore, our manufacturing processes are subjected to systematic and intensive quality control monitoring by our quality assurance department with frequent verifications done independently by the national regulatory and certification bodies such as the Dairy Services and Standards Association of Zimbabwe," reads part of the statement issued by the subsidiary.

DZPL is one of the largest manufacturing and marketing companies in Zimbabwe with five factories located in Harare, Chitungwiza and Chipinge.

It has seven functions headed by executives who report directly to the group chief executive Anthony Mandiwanza.

In July 1997, the group became the first State-owned company in Zimbabwe to privatise, and listed on the ZSE the same year.

Recently, Colcom Foods also assured its customers and consumers that it will continue to produce "safe, quality foods."

Colcom, said it does not import processed meat products from South Africa, saying it prioritises the health and safety of its consumers above all else, adding its food safety management systems are based on the international Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system — managed by a dedicated Quality Assurance and Quality Control team.

Colcom also said it recently upgraded the capabilities of its laboratory to allow it to test an increased range of microbiological factors.
- dailynews

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