Egypt lifts temporary suspension on SA agricultural imports
The Egyptian embassy in Pretoria has issued a release stating that the temporary suspension on South African agricultural imports to Egypt has been lifted.
Sep 11, 2018: The Egyptian embassy in Pretoria has issued a release stating that the temporary suspension on South African agricultural imports to Egypt has been lifted.
However, the Egyptian authorities have requested the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to take necessary action to ensure that fresh fruit and vegetables exported to Egypt are free of the listeria bacteria that causes listeriosis. The Egyptian authorities suspended the imports following warnings by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Egypt's decision to lift the restrictions follow South African health minister Aaron Motsoaledi's announcement that the listeriosis outbreak was over and that no new cases had been reported in the last three months.
Motsoaledi also said that further investigations were being undertaken to find the cause of the outbreak traced to an Enterprise Food plant while legislative measures would be implemented to ensure food safety and prevent further outbreaks.
