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Austrian authorities have advised consumers not to eat raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta in Sicily, citing recurring Salmonella infections linked to tomatoes. Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases; more than 160 confirmed infections have been recorded across 10 European countries since July 2026.
Austrian authorities have warned people not to eat raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta in Sicily after recurring Salmonella infections were linked to tomatoes. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) and the federal health ministry say anyone using cherry tomatoes from those areas should heat them thoroughly before eating.
Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases across seven federal states. According to AGES and the ministry, patient interviews point to travel in Italy and tomato consumption as possible links. Six cases were assessed as likely acquired abroad: five patients had traveled to Italy and one to Croatia before becoming ill. These findings are investigative leads, not confirmation that every case came from the same food source.
One patient became ill during the winter, while 28 people fell ill from late July. Seven patients were hospitalized. The patients range in age from 10 months to 79 years, with a median age of 36; 17 are male and 12 female. The supplied report does not specify the exact date of the Austrian warning or provide details identifying affected brands, suppliers, or individual batches.
In October, Slovenia’s Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection Administration said it had been notified that an Italian lot of cherry tomatoes reached several catering companies between Sept. 7 and 9. Further checks found that the stocks had already been used and were no longer available to consumers through retailers. Slovenia reported no tomato-linked outbreaks since Sept. 7. The report also says Italian authorities detected Salmonella Strathcona and monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium in cherry tomatoes earlier in October.
A Cross-Border Food Safety Risk
The warning matters because tomatoes are commonly eaten raw, so they may not receive a cooking step that would reduce the risk from Salmonella. The advice applies to produce from two named Sicilian areas, rather than to all tomatoes or all Italian produce. Consumers who know their cherry tomatoes came from Ragusa or Caltanissetta should follow the authorities’ direction not to eat them raw; thorough heating is the stated alternative if they are used.
The wider investigation points to a problem that may extend beyond one country or one delivery. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says recurring cases suggest ongoing transmission and distribution of contaminated produce in Italy and beyond. That assessment is based on the pattern of cases and investigations; it does not identify a confirmed source for every infection. For readers, the practical point is to pay attention to the origin-specific warning and any further notices from national food safety authorities.
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Recurring Infections Across Europe
Since July 2026, more than 160 confirmed infections in 10 European countries have been recorded, while sequencing results are pending for a further 100 patients. The ECDC says cases have recurred across seasons and warns that new outbreaks may continue while contaminated produce is being delivered and the source has not been identified.
The supplied report says that between 2023 and 2026, 800 people in 17 European countries became ill, including 133 in Austria. Most cases occurred from late summer through December. In late 2025, AGES detected the outbreak strain in organic cherry tomatoes from Italy; it was also found in irrigation water at a tomato producer in Sicily. Those earlier findings add evidence under investigation, but the report does not establish a final contamination route or a definitive root cause.
Other national investigations add to the picture. Germany recorded 116 cases in its largest Salmonella Strathcona outbreak in the 2025–26 season; its Robert Koch Institute recently reported 39 patients associated with an outbreak since June 2026. In Italy, authorities in Puglia suspended the serving of raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering facilities after rising infections and Salmonella detection in a batch from Caltanissetta.
“The risk for new infections remains as long as the seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues.”
— The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Source and Product Details Remain Unclear
The available report does not name affected brands, retailers, producers, or specific batches, nor does it state the exact date the Austrian warning was issued. It is also not yet clear which infections are tied to a particular shipment or how many cases will be linked to the current cluster after further testing. Sequencing results are pending for 100 patients across Europe.
Authorities have described several lines of evidence, including patient interviews, seasonal timing, genetic similarities, food investigations, and earlier detection of the outbreak strain in tomatoes and irrigation water. The report says these support a common-source hypothesis, but it does not establish the root cause of contamination or show that every case across the countries shares one source.
Testing and Traceback Continue
Health and food safety authorities are expected to continue investigating patient histories, testing samples, and tracing produce supply chains. Pending sequencing results may clarify how many additional patients are linked to the same outbreak strain. The ECDC says the broader risk may persist while seasonal deliveries continue and until the contamination source is found and control measures are put in place.
For now, consumers should follow the Austrian warning for cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta: do not eat them raw, and heat them thoroughly if using them. Further advice may change as investigators identify affected shipments or issue new alerts. The supplied information does not give a timetable for the next update.
Key Questions
Which tomatoes are covered by Austria’s warning?
The warning covers raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta, two areas in Sicily. It is not described as a warning against all tomatoes from Italy.
What should I do if I have tomatoes from those areas?
Austrian authorities advise against eating them raw. If they must be used, officials say they should be thoroughly heated before consumption. The supplied report does not specify a cooking temperature.
How many Salmonella cases have been reported in Austria?
Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases across seven federal states. Seven patients required hospitalization.
Has the source of the contamination been confirmed?
No definitive root cause is given in the report. Investigators cite patient interviews, food investigations, seasonal patterns, and earlier detection of the outbreak strain in Italian cherry tomatoes and irrigation water, but further traceback and testing are pending.
Source: rss
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