Lawyers pursuing the class action against Tiger Brands over the 2017 listeriosis outbreak say they are making progress in their pursuit of justice for the victims.

A court ruling in April ordered government departments to cooperate with the legal representatives by releasing medical records and investigation reports related to the outbreak.

At least 180 people died between late 2017 and early 2018 after eating contaminated food traced to two Tiger Brands facilities in Germiston and Polokwane.

April’s High Court ruling ordered the Health, Agriculture and Forestry departments, as well as the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) to hand over records related to the outbreak and subsequent investigations. 

The Citizen reports that the lawyers handling the class action, Richard Spoor Incorporated (RSI) and LHL Attorneys, confirmed to claimants that the NICD and NHLS were cooperating with the order.

‘We have received a substantial volume of material, which our team and experts are now reviewing as part of our ongoing trial preparation,’ they said.

The lawyers remain in negotiations with Tiger Brands over a settlement, with Tiger Brands having been furnished with documentation the company itself had requested.

RSI and LHL were determining the losses incurred by the victims on a case-by-case basis by assessing personal records and accounts.

In addition to medical records, these include funeral expenses, tax information, earnings and the employment losses suffered.

Tiger Brands offered a settlement in May 2025, with one of the complainants confirming to The Citizen a year later that no settlement had since been reached.

Tiger Brands was contacted for comment, and the company’s response will be added if forthcoming.

Gauteng accounted for 59% of cases, followed by the Western Cape and KZN with 12% and 7%, respectively.

Full report in The Citizen