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Emilia-Romagna has suspended the use of uncooked cherry tomatoes by public and private foodservice providers at schools, hospitals and care facilities. Authorities cite Salmonella cases linked through epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence to raw cherry and datterini tomatoes, while investigations and traceability work continue.
Emilia-Romagna has suspended uncooked cherry tomatoes at schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other specified institutions as Italian and European authorities investigate Salmonella infections linked to raw tomatoes. The regional order applies to public and private foodservice providers and will remain in force until further notice, according to a notice reported by Food Safety News.
The order covers cherry tomatoes that have not undergone cooking and applies to foodservice providers in schools, social care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes. Regional officials said they acted under the precautionary principle to protect public health while investigations continue. Those who breach the order could face prosecution, the notice said.
Regional surveillance between 2024 and 2026 recorded 112 Salmonella Strathcona cases and five infections with monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium in Emilia-Romagna, amid a wider European Salmonella outbreak. The reported evidence linking cases to tomatoes includes epidemiological, microbiological or genomic findings associating infections in several European countries and Italian regions with the consumption of raw cherry and datterini tomatoes.
A national task force convened on Sept. 30, 2026, and experts found that recent outbreaks in Puglia, Lombardy, Lazio and Friuli-Venezia Giulia were linked to fresh tomatoes contaminated with monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type 34 or Salmonella Strathcona sequence type 2559. The report says more than 160 infections have been recorded in 10 European countries since July 2026, as authorities have also called for Salmonella outbreak details to be shared. These are outbreak figures reported by the source; the material does not provide a common case definition or a breakdown of all cases by country.
Restrictions Reach Schools and Care Sites
The suspension affects settings serving people who may be more vulnerable to foodborne illness, including children, hospital patients and residents of care homes. For institutions, it means uncooked cherry tomatoes cannot be used in foodservice while the order remains active; the notice does not state that cooked tomatoes are prohibited.
The measure is also significant because authorities say the cases span multiple regions and countries, while fresh-produce supply chains can make it hard to trace where tomatoes came from and where they were distributed. The restriction is a precautionary response during an investigation, not a finding that every tomato product or supplier is contaminated.
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Outbreak Links Across Europe
The regional notice referenced outbreak assessments by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2024 and 2025, alongside notifications on the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. Emilia-Romagna officials said the complexity of fresh tomato traceability makes it difficult to identify the businesses involved and determine product distribution.
Puglia had previously suspended the serving of raw fresh tomatoes at institutional catering sites, including nurseries, schools, healthcare facilities and residential care homes. That action followed a rise in Salmonella Strathcona infections and the detection of Salmonella in a tomato batch from Caltanissetta. The report also says that in late 2025 Austrian testing detected the outbreak strain in organic cherry tomatoes from Italy, and that the strain had previously been found in irrigation water at a tomato producer in Sicily.
Other figures reported by Food Safety News include 21 confirmed and eight probable cases of Salmonella Strathcona across seven Austrian federal states. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute recently reported 39 patients associated with the outbreak since June. Cases were also reported in Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Source and Case Links Still Under Review
The available report does not identify a single confirmed source responsible for all infections, name the suppliers covered by the investigation or provide distribution details for potentially affected tomatoes. Officials say traceability is difficult, and the regional measure is in place while investigations continue.
The material also does not give a complete, current case count for every country or explain how the reported figures overlap across surveillance periods. It describes links supported by epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence, but does not establish that every reported case was caused by the same shipment or producer. No end date for the suspension has been announced in the source material.
Investigation and Regional Order Continue
Foodservice providers covered by the Emilia-Romagna order must continue to withhold uncooked cherry tomatoes until authorities change or lift the measure. The notice says the restriction lasts until further notice; it does not set a review date or describe a planned inspection schedule.
Investigators are expected to continue examining the outbreak evidence and tracing fresh-tomato supply chains to identify operators and product distribution. Further updates from regional, national or European authorities may clarify the source, the number of linked cases and whether the suspension will be expanded, narrowed or ended. Until then, the confirmed action is limited to the settings and product specified in the order.
Key Questions
Where has uncooked tomato use been suspended?
In Emilia-Romagna, the order applies to public and private foodservice providers in schools, social care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes.
Which tomatoes does the order cover?
The notice specifies cherry tomatoes that have not been cooked. The report does not say that cooked tomatoes or all tomato products are prohibited.
Why did officials issue the suspension?
Authorities cited the precautionary principle and public health protection while they investigate Salmonella cases linked by available evidence to raw cherry and datterini tomatoes.
How long will the restriction last?
The order applies until further notice. The source material does not provide an end date or a schedule for review.
Has one contaminated supplier been identified?
Not in the reported material. Officials said complex fresh-tomato supply chains make it difficult to identify the operators involved and trace product distribution.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
