TL;DR
Get kitchen staples and gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Authorities in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region have ordered public and private food-service providers at schools, hospitals and care facilities to stop serving uncooked cherry tomatoes until further notice. The precautionary measure follows Salmonella cases associated with raw tomatoes in multiple Italian regions and other European countries; investigations into supply chains and the source of contamination continue.
Authorities in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region have ordered public and private food-service providers at schools, hospitals, social care facilities and nursing homes to stop using uncooked cherry tomatoes, as investigations continue into Salmonella infections linked to raw tomatoes. The restriction applies until further notice and was adopted as a precaution to protect public health.
The regional notice covers selected institutional food-service settings and prohibits serving cherry tomatoes that have not undergone cooking. Officials said the measure was taken under the precautionary principle while investigations proceed. People or businesses found to breach the order could face prosecution, according to the notice.
Regional surveillance recorded 112 Salmonella Strathcona cases in Emilia-Romagna between 2024 and 2026, as well as five infections from monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium. Authorities said cases of both strains in Italy and other European countries have been linked to eating raw cherry and datterini tomatoes through epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence.
The notice cited outbreak assessments by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2024 and 2025, alongside alerts on the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. Officials said the complexity of fresh tomato supply chains makes it difficult to identify the businesses involved and establish where affected products were distributed.
Restrictions Reach More Care Settings
The order limits exposure to uncooked tomatoes in settings where food is served to children, older people and people receiving medical or social care. It does not amount to a general ban on tomatoes across Emilia-Romagna: the notice applies to uncooked cherry tomatoes at specified public and private food-service providers.
The development also reflects a wider, cross-border investigation. Since July 2026, authorities have recorded more than 160 infections in 10 European countries, according to the source report. Because fresh produce moves through complex supply chains, tracing the origin and distribution of potentially affected tomatoes remains a practical challenge for authorities and food businesses.
Products Worth Considering
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender, 64 oz. Container, Black
Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
Breville Smart Grinder Pro Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, Brushed Stainless Steel
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Outbreak Reports Across Europe
On September 30, 2026, a national task force was convened in Italy. Experts linked recent outbreaks in Puglia, Lombardy, Lazio and Friuli-Venezia Giulia to fresh tomatoes contaminated with monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type 34 or Salmonella Strathcona sequence type 2559, according to the source report.
Puglia had already suspended the serving of raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering preparation centers and distribution points, including nurseries, schools, hospitals and residential care facilities. That measure followed an increase in Salmonella Strathcona infections and the detection of Salmonella in a tomato batch from Caltanissetta.
Reports also describe cases elsewhere in Europe. Austria has recorded 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases in seven federal states. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute recently reported 39 patients associated with the outbreak since June. Cases have also been reported in Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The source report says Austria detected the outbreak strain in Italian organic cherry tomatoes in late 2025; the strain had also previously been found in irrigation water at a tomato producer in Sicily.
Source and Distribution Still Unresolved
The available information does not identify a single source responsible for all infections or establish that every raw tomato product is affected. Authorities have linked cases to raw cherry and datterini tomatoes using epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence, but the source report says traceability remains difficult and investigations are ongoing.
It is also unclear how long Emilia-Romagna’s order will remain in force, which individual suppliers or products may be implicated, and whether authorities will extend restrictions to other foods or settings. The regional notice says only that the measure applies until further notice.
Monitoring and Traceback Continue
Regional and national authorities are expected to continue monitoring infections and investigating the supply chain, while the restriction remains in place. Food-service providers covered by the order must avoid serving uncooked cherry tomatoes and follow the notice; violations may lead to prosecution.
Further updates may clarify whether investigators can identify specific operators, batches or distribution routes, and whether the restriction changes as new evidence emerges. The source material does not give a date for the next official update or a timeline for lifting the order.
Key Questions
What has Emilia-Romagna prohibited?
The region ordered public and private food-service providers in specified settings—including schools, hospitals, social care facilities and nursing homes—not to use cherry tomatoes that have not been cooked.
Does the order ban all tomatoes in Italy?
No. The reported order applies to uncooked cherry tomatoes at covered food-service sites in Emilia-Romagna. The source does not describe a nationwide ban or a prohibition on all tomato products.
How many cases have been recorded in Emilia-Romagna?
Regional surveillance identified 112 Salmonella Strathcona cases and five monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium infections between 2024 and 2026. The figures cover those strains and that period.
Have cases been reported outside Italy?
Yes. Since July 2026, more than 160 infections have been recorded in 10 European countries, according to the source report. Reports include cases in Austria and Germany, as well as Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
When will the restriction end?
No end date has been announced in the source material. Emilia-Romagna’s notice says the measure remains in effect until further notice while investigations continue.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
