So far 180 people have died, most of them in Gauteng and now major retailers have started pulling affected products off the shelves.
The department is advising South Africa to avoid polony, viennas, russians and other ready to eat meat products for now as they are believed to be the source of the latest listeriosis outbreak.
The government blamed the sausage known as polony for the listeria poisoning that has killed 180 people. It advised people not the eat any processed meat.
It ordered a recall of the product, prompting shops to clear their shelves.
Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, and Zambia followed suit, all ordering a recall or suspending imports.
