Overview
- A joint ECDC–EFSA update tallies 437 confirmed Salmonella Strathcona ST2559 cases across 17 European countries since 2023, with additional cases reported in the UK, the United States and Canada.
- Epidemiological investigations continue to indicate tomatoes as the primary vehicle, with Austrian tracing pointing to small tomatoes from Sicily without definitive proof of causation.
- Italy’s food safety authority reported detection of Salmonella Strathcona in irrigation water at a local Sicilian producer, reinforcing concern about environmental contamination routes.
- EU and Italian agencies have launched targeted on-site testing and are coordinating enhanced controls focused on irrigation sources, pre-harvest practices and traceability.
- Industry groups in Sicily contest the implication of local tomatoes, while public guidance emphasizes thorough washing of fresh produce and careful handling to reduce risk.