Joint ecdc-efsa rapid outbreak assessment of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to chocolate products
As of 8 April 2022, 150 confirmed and probable cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported in nine EU/EEA countries (Belgium, France – 25 cases, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway and Sweden) as well as in the UK, with the first case occurring on 21 December 2021 in the UK. Infections have occurred mainly in children younger than 10 years.
In December 2021, S. Typhimurium was detected in a buttermilk tank at the company’s Belgian facility during its own checks. At that time, the company implemented hygiene measures and increased sampling and testing of products and the processing environment. After testing negative for Salmonella, the chocolate products were then distributed in Europe and the rest of the world.
On 8 April 2022, following official controls, the Food Safety Authority in Belgium withdrew the company’s production licence. The company also recalled all products manufactured in its Belgian facility, regardless of their batch number or expiry date.
According to EFSA and ECDC experts,The recalls and withdrawals launched worldwide will reduce the risk of further infections. However, there are several information gaps that need to be investigated further to understand the root cause, timing and possible factors behind the contamination, including the evaluation of the possibility of the wider use of contaminated raw material in other processing plants.
Mérieux NutriSciences provides a wide range of services (including testing, crisis management, monitoring plans,…) to food manufacturers to assess the absence of pathogens and guarantee Safety and to meet regulations and quality standards. Our laboratories are ISO17025 accredited.
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