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Emilia-Romagna has ordered public and private food-service providers in schools, hospitals and care facilities to stop serving uncooked cherry tomatoes until further notice. The precautionary measure follows Salmonella cases linked by epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence to raw cherry and datterini tomatoes; investigations into supply chains and affected products continue.
Emilia-Romagna has ordered public and private food-service providers in schools, social care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes to stop using uncooked cherry tomatoes, as authorities investigate Salmonella infections linked to fresh tomatoes. The regional notice says the restriction is a precautionary measure that will remain in place until further notice; violators could face prosecution.
The order applies to cherry tomatoes that have not been cooked and covers food-service providers serving the named institutions. Regional officials said they acted under the precautionary principle to protect public health while investigations continue. The notice does not describe a general ban on tomatoes for consumers or on cooked tomato products.
Regional surveillance recorded 112 Salmonella Strathcona cases and five infections with monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium in Emilia-Romagna between 2024 and 2026. The broader investigation has identified cases in several European countries and Italian regions. Authorities have linked cases to consumption of raw cherry and datterini tomatoes using epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence.
According to the source report, a national task force convened on Sept. 30, 2026, 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. Since July 2026, more than 160 infections have been recorded across 10 European countries, the report said.
Protection in Institutional Kitchens
The restriction affects meal preparation for people who rely on institutional catering, including children in schools and nurseries, patients in hospitals and residents of care homes. Suspending uncooked tomatoes is a targeted step intended to reduce exposure while officials work to identify the source and distribution of potentially implicated produce.
The order also reflects a practical challenge: regional officials said the complex traceability of fresh tomato supply chains makes it difficult to determine which operators handled products and where they were distributed. That can complicate efforts to issue precise product warnings or recalls. The current measure is therefore framed as temporary protection during an unresolved investigation, not as a finding that all tomatoes are unsafe.
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Outbreak Links Across Europe
The regional notice referred to outbreak assessments by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2024 and 2025, as well as notifications through the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. The cases span multiple years and locations, with investigators using different kinds of evidence to assess links to raw tomatoes.
In Puglia, authorities had already suspended the serving of raw fresh tomatoes at institutional food-preparation and distribution sites, including schools, healthcare facilities and residential care homes. That measure followed an increase in Salmonella Strathcona infections and the detection of Salmonella in a tomato batch from Caltanissetta, according to the source report.
Reports from other countries also describe cases under investigation. Austria reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases in seven federal states. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute reported 39 patients associated with the outbreak since June. The report also named cases in Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. In late 2025, Austrian testing detected the outbreak strain in organic cherry tomatoes from Italy; it had also previously been found in irrigation water at a tomato producer in Sicily.
Source and Distribution Still Unclear
The regional notice does not identify a single producer, supplier or batch responsible for the cases in Emilia-Romagna. It also does not specify how long the order will last beyond saying it applies until further notice, or provide a threshold for when uncooked tomatoes could be served again.
The reported links between cases and tomatoes draw on epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence, but the information supplied does not establish that every case across the countries and years came from the same source. Authorities have described difficulties tracing the fresh-produce chain, and the investigation remains ongoing. The available report also does not provide a full breakdown of the 160-plus cases by country or confirm a final outbreak total.
Investigators Trace Tomato Supply
Regional and national authorities are expected to continue investigating the cases and tracing tomato supply chains, while the Emilia-Romagna restriction remains in force until further notice. Any change to the order, including its lifting or extension, would depend on further official guidance; the regional notice does not give a review date.
Institutional food-service providers must follow the order and avoid serving uncooked cherry tomatoes in the facilities it covers. Readers seeking advice about a specific product or exposure should check announcements from their local food-safety authorities, as the supplied report does not name a consumer recall or identify a specific product for households to avoid.
Key Questions
Where are uncooked cherry tomatoes suspended?
The Emilia-Romagna order covers public and private food-service providers in schools, social care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes.
Does the order ban all tomatoes?
No. The notice concerns cherry tomatoes that have not undergone cooking in the specified institutional food services. It does not describe a general consumer ban or a restriction on cooked tomato products.
How many cases have been reported in Emilia-Romagna?
Regional surveillance identified 112 Salmonella Strathcona cases and five monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium infections between 2024 and 2026.
Has a specific contaminated supplier been identified?
The information provided does not name a supplier responsible for the Emilia-Romagna cases. Authorities say complex fresh-tomato supply chains are making it difficult to identify operators and distribution details.
When will the restriction end?
The order applies until further notice. The regional notice does not set an end date or provide a timetable for review.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
