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In a statement, Supreme Poultry said the negative publicity was a result of the malicious work of a disgruntled former employee, Mr Johan Wilhelm Matthee, whose services were recently terminated by the company on the grounds of sexual harassment.

Last week, Mr Matthee, a former production manager at one of Supreme Poultry plants in SA confirmed that the practice had been going on for more than two years that he served the company.
“The company views these aspersions in the most serious light and appropriate legal action is being taken against the employee, not only for making false claims but also for making deliberate damage to Country

Bird Holdings group company’s name and brands,” said the company.
Although the company confirmed that it re-worked some of its produce, it said it was done on a limited scale and conducted in accordance with the protocols as dictated by the SA Department of Agriculture.

“Zimbabwe distributors are supplied with poultry of the highest quality. At no stage has Supreme supplied Zimbabwe with any re-worked products.
“All exports are certified with official veterinary health certificates by relevant qualified State Veterinarians. The abattoirs exporting to Zimbabwe have been approved by the Zimbabwean veterinary authority,” the company said.

It said all its products were manufactured under strict hygiene control and ensured strict quality control at all times by trained poultry meat inspectors.
The company said it adhered to Zimbabwean veterinary authority’s stipulated brine percentage.

The Government recently banned Supreme Poultry from bringing its products into the country after reports that the company brought into the country cheap expired chicken injected with brine, re-branded and found its way back to the shops.
Before the ban, the three companies, Supreme, Chubby Chicks and Day Break were the three major producers that had been approved by the Government to export into the country.