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
Emilia-Romagna has ordered public and private foodservice providers at schools, hospitals and care facilities to stop serving uncooked cherry tomatoes until further notice. Authorities cite Salmonella infections linked by investigative evidence to raw tomatoes, but the source and distribution of contaminated products remain difficult to trace.
Emilia-Romagna has ordered public and private foodservice providers in schools, social care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes to stop using uncooked cherry tomatoes, as Italian and European authorities investigate Salmonella infections linked to raw tomatoes. The regional measure applies until further notice and was adopted as a precaution while investigations continue.
The order covers cherry tomatoes that have not undergone cooking, according to a notice from regional authorities reported by Food Safety News. It applies to foodservice providers serving the named institutions, rather than setting out a general ban on tomatoes for all consumers. Officials said the action was intended to protect public health while the source and spread of the infections are investigated. Those who breach the order could face prosecution.
Regional surveillance recorded 112 Salmonella Strathcona cases and five infections with monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium in Emilia-Romagna between 2024 and 2026. Investigations across several European countries and Italian regions have linked infections in 2024, 2025 and 2026 to consumption of raw cherry and datterini tomatoes through epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence, the notice said.
On Sept. 30, 2026, a national task force met to review outbreaks in Puglia, Lombardy, Lazio and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Experts linked those outbreaks to fresh tomatoes contaminated with monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type 34 or Salmonella Strathcona sequence type 2559, according to the report. Since July, more than 160 infections have been recorded in 10 European countries.
Why Institutions Are Affected
The suspension directs attention to settings where food is prepared for children, patients and care-home residents. These groups receive meals through institutional catering, so a temporary change in ingredient use can reduce exposure while authorities work to identify the products implicated. The order is limited to selected foodservice sites in Emilia-Romagna; the supplied report does not describe it as a nationwide consumer recall or a ban on all fresh tomatoes.
The response also reflects a supply-chain challenge. Regional officials said the complex traceability of fresh tomatoes makes it difficult to identify the businesses involved and determine where products were distributed. That can complicate targeted action when investigations link infections to a food category but cannot yet establish the full route from producer to meal.
Products Worth Considering
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender, 64 oz. Container, Black
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Ultimate 6.5-Quart 13-in-1 Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer
Instant Pot Pro Plus 6 Qt 10-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Black
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Outbreak Links Across Europe
The regional order follows earlier action in Puglia, where officials suspended the serving of raw fresh tomatoes at institutional food preparation and distribution sites. The measure covered nurseries, schools, healthcare and social-care facilities, residential homes and hospitals. It followed an increase in Salmonella Strathcona infections and the detection of Salmonella in a tomato batch from Caltanissetta.
Food Safety News reported that the Emilia-Romagna notice referred to outbreak assessments published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Food Safety Authority in 2024 and 2025, as well as notifications through the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. The report also said the outbreak strain was detected in organic cherry tomatoes from Italy during testing in Austria in late 2025, and had previously been found in irrigation water at a tomato producer in Sicily.
Cases have also been reported outside Italy. Austria has recorded 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases across seven federal states. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute said 39 patients had been associated with the outbreak there since June. The report names Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden among other affected countries.
Source And Distribution Still Unclear
The notice does not identify a single supplier, farm or product batch responsible for all the linked cases. It also does not provide a detailed account of how many infections are attributable to each tomato type or outbreak strain. Authorities have cited epidemiological, microbiological and genomic links, but the report says traceability remains difficult and investigations are continuing.
The regional order does not specify a date for review or explain what evidence would be needed to lift it. The available information also does not set out whether further regions will introduce similar measures, or whether additional food alerts or recalls will follow. The reported infection totals cover different places and periods, so they should not be treated as one single confirmed count for Italy.
Investigations And Order Review
Foodservice providers covered by the order must avoid serving uncooked cherry tomatoes until Emilia-Romagna changes or withdraws the measure. The order remains in force until further notice, with possible prosecution for violations. Regional and national authorities are expected to continue investigating cases, test and trace products, and coordinate information across affected areas and countries.
Any further guidance will depend on what investigators establish about suppliers, distribution routes and the contamination source. Until authorities clarify those points or announce a change, the current restriction remains the applicable instruction for the institutions named in the notice.
Key Questions
Where has the tomato suspension been ordered?
In Emilia-Romagna, the order applies to public and private foodservice providers in schools, social care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes.
Which tomatoes are covered by the order?
The notice covers cherry tomatoes that have not undergone cooking. The reported order is not described as a ban on all tomatoes for every consumer.
How long will the restriction last?
It applies until further notice. The report does not give a review date or a timetable for lifting it.
Have authorities identified the source of contamination?
Not in the information reported so far. Authorities have linked cases to raw cherry and datterini tomatoes using epidemiological, microbiological or genomic evidence, but say complex supply chains make traceability difficult.
How many cases have been reported?
Emilia-Romagna surveillance identified 112 Salmonella Strathcona cases and five monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium infections between 2024 and 2026. Separately, more than 160 infections were recorded across 10 European countries since July 2026; these figures cover different areas and reporting periods.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
