Italy is facing a food safety alert. Following the West Nile summer , a salmonella outbreak is now making headlines. Four regions have reported cases linked to fresh cherry tomatoes. In Apulia , the health authority has taken decisive action, banning raw tomatoes from the kitchens of schools, hospitals and care homes as a precautionary measure. Investigators are tracing the responsible pathogens back to Sicily.
On 30 September 2026, the national taskforce for food safety convened to assess the situation. The conclusion: cases recorded in September in Apulia, Lombardy, Lazio and Friuli-Venezia Giulia all share the same pathogen profile.
Identified: Salmonella Strathcona ST2559
The laboratories have identified the strain Salmonella Strathcona ST2559 as the causative agent. According to my-personaltrainer.it , this strain has been circulating in Europe since 2023. Between January 2023 and September 2025, 437 confirmed cases were recorded across Europe, 123 of them in Italy. As many as 59 of those occurred in 2025 up to mid-September alone, with the majority falling in the summer months.
Investigators are following a concrete lead. A contaminated batch of tomatoes from the province of Caltanissetta in Sicily has been identified as a possible vehicle of infection. As early as January 2025, the Strathcona strain had been detected in the irrigation water of a Sicilian producer .
Precautionary order in Foggia
Following the taskforce meeting, the Regione Puglia responded with an urgent order from the Dipartimento Salute. In Foggia, the food hygiene and nutrition service of the ASL has ordered the immediate suspension of raw tomatoes in communal catering. Those affected include nurseries, primary schools, hospital facilities, and public and private care homes. Cooked vegetables must be served in place of raw tomatoes.
The order was issued in accordance with the precautionary principle . It will remain in force until the regional health authority lifts it once investigations have been concluded. The outbreak is also causing concern beyond the Alps. In Germany, a total of 116 Strathcona cases were recorded in the 2025,2026 season. A further 39 have been added since mid-September 2026. In several case interviews, those affected reported stays in Italy during the exposure period . An epidemiological connection is therefore considered likely, though no definitive site of infection can be established from this alone.
What consumers should know
According to the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, a salmonella infection typically manifests between 6 and 72 hours after consumption of contaminated food. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, usually lasting four to seven days. Risk groups include infants, older people, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. Persistent symptoms warrant medical advice.
The Istituto Superiore di Sanità advises thoroughly washing fruit and vegetables before use and keeping raw and cooked foods separate. Heating reliably destroys salmonella bacteria. Those who regularly shop at Italian supermarkets are advised to keep an eye on the Avvisi e richiami published by the Ministry of Health. The magazine Panorama is currently reporting on specific product recalls affecting individual batches.
No all-clear in sight
Whether the outbreak can be contained by the order in Foggia remains to be seen. The pattern observed so far with the Strathcona strain shows a marked autumnalseasonality. With four regions affected to date and the season not yet over, further regional orders remain a realistic possibility.
For those holidaying in Italy and for consumers generally, the following applies for the time being: wash cherry tomatoes thoroughly, avoid unwrapped produce from unclear sources, and observe the current guidelines in communal catering settings. note. The Italian food safety authority updates its guidance via the portals of the Ministry of Health and the relevant ASL.
