Tiger Brands has agreed to provide interim financial relief to some victims of the 2017/18 listeriosis outbreak, marking a critical step in the ongoing legal battle surrounding one of South Africa’s deadliest foodborne disease outbreaks.
Tiger Brands reaches agreement in 2017 listeriosis outbreak
The company, in partnership with law firms Richard Spoor Incorporated (RSI) and LHL Attorneys, will begin issuing payments to individuals who require urgent medical assistance, despite the class action lawsuit still being in progress.
In a statement, Tiger Brands confirmed that while liability has not yet been determined by the courts, the company recognises the dire financial and medical needs of some affected individuals.
CEO Tjaart Kruger emphasised that the payments do not imply an admission of guilt but are a goodwill measure.
“The legal process has proved long and arduous. Even though liability has not yet been determined and Tiger Brands has no legal obligation to provide interim relief at this stage in the class action, the interim advance payment to select claimants with urgent needs recognises the debilitating circumstances in which they find themselves,” Kruger said.
Tiger Brands assured that the privacy of individuals receiving financial assistance would be protected, and no details of individual payments would be made public.
Meanwhile, legal representatives continue to assess additional claimants who may qualify for assistance, while discussions remain ongoing regarding a broader resolution to the class action.
Further announcements from Tiger Brands are expected as negotiations progress.
The 2017/18 listeriosis outbreak remains the largest recorded outbreak of its kind globally, claiming the lives of 218 people and infecting at least 1,060 individuals.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) traced the outbreak’s source to Enterprise Foods, a subsidiary of Tiger Brands, where environmental samples from the Polokwane factory tested positive for the ST6 strain of listeria.
Listeriosis is a severe bacterial infection primarily caused by consuming contaminated ready-to-eat foods such as cold meats, smoked fish, and unpasteurised dairy products.
While healthy individuals typically experience mild symptoms, the disease can be deadly for vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
In response to the NICD findings, Tiger Brands shut down its Polokwane and Germiston plants and issued a nationwide recall of all Enterprise ready-to-eat meat products in March 2018.
However, despite evidence linking the ST6 strain to Tiger Brands’ facilities, the company has never admitted liability, insisting that no direct link between its products and the deaths has been definitively established.
RSI and LHL Attorneys are representing over 1,000 claimants in a class action lawsuit seeking compensation for victims and their families. Richard Spoor, director of RSI, has accused Tiger Brands of employing legal loopholes to delay compensation, despite overwhelming evidence linking the outbreak to the company’s facilities.
While the first phase of the class action lawsuit aims to establish Tiger Brands’ liability, the second phase—which will only proceed if liability is confirmed—will determine the compensation owed to victims.
In October 2024, Tiger Brands announced that it had made progress in gaining access to NICD investigation records, which could play a pivotal role in resolving the case.
Spoor has previously estimated that potential compensation could range between R1.5 billion and R2.5 billion, though the final figure will depend on court proceedings.
As the legal battle continues, the timeline for a final trial date remains unclear.
Tiger Brands has committed to working towards a resolution but maintains that the company will only accept liability if determined by the courts.