Salmonella and Cherry Tomatoes: Many European Countries Face a Food Safety Crisis

Many European countries have reported cases of Salmonella Senftenberg ST14 infection possibly related to cherry tomatoes. The cases are widely distributed, from Austria to the UK, and even involving the United States. This situation has raised concerns about food safety and public health.

From August 2022 to July 2023, as many as 13 countries reported 92 cases of Salmonella Senftenberg ST14 infection. The incident was first reported in France, and the latest case occurred in Sweden. Among them, 69.6% of the patients were female, and one case led to the death of the patient. Most of the cases were reported from October 2022 to March 2023.

The affected countries are mainly concentrated in Europe but also include the United States. In France, Germany, and Austria, the most common food associated with the infection is cherry tomatoes.

At present, the suspicion of cherry tomatoes as the infection vector mainly focuses on France and Austria. These tomatoes may come from wholesalers in Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, as well as growers in the Netherlands, Spain, and Morocco.

Due to the lack of conclusive microbiological evidence, the specific source of infection has not been determined yet. However, based on the genetic similarity of human epidemic strains, these cases may have a common food - borne source of infection.

Since December 2022, the risk of new infections has dropped to a relatively low level. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) encourages national public health authorities to continue to cooperate with food safety agencies to identify the source of infection.

This series of Salmonella Senftenberg ST14 infection incidents highlights the importance of food safety and public health, especially in todays increasingly complex global supply chain. All parties, including public health agencies, food safety agencies, and consumers, need to adopt a more cautious and scientific approach to address this challenge.