The salmonella outbreak in France was likely caused by contaminated eggs from Poland.
The Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak sickened 16 people, including nine men and seven women. Four people were hospitalized. The patients ranged in age from 1 to 55 and suffered mainly from fever and diarrhea, according to Santé publique France.
In answer to your question food safety newsThe Direction Générale de l’Alimentation (DGAL) said the initial link was established through a survey of patients, which revealed a link between the onset of symptoms and the consumption of products containing raw eggs. The origin of these eggs was determined using a code printed on the shell.
The white eggs implicated were sold in supermarkets. By the time the link between egg consumption and symptom onset was confirmed, I had no recollection of it because I had already consumed it.
DGAL said it had contacted Polish authorities to ensure all measures were taken to ensure consumer safety.
past occurrence
In a previous outbreak, a cluster of 50 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis was reported in the Île-de-France regional unit of Santé publique France. The outbreak was the largest ever reported in the Île-de-France region in terms of number of cases, duration, and severity.
A total of 103 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infection were confirmed by the National Reference Center (CNR). Strains were isolated between August 2024 and January 2025. The average age of the cases was 23 years and 95 lived in the Île-de-France region. A total of 43 patients were interviewed. Twenty-five people were hospitalized and four required intensive care. All patients recovered.
Five patients were linked to outbreaks linked to three different restaurants and consumed egg-based products. Of the other 38 cases interviewed, four reported eating egg-based products from these restaurants, and 29 reported purchasing unbranded eggs in the same packaging from various locations.
A Salmonella strain isolated from mayonnaise sampled from a restaurant was confirmed to belong to this genomic cluster by the National Reference Laboratory for Salmonella (NRL). Eggs are suspected to be the cause of the outbreak, but the exact source has not been confirmed.
Salmonella detection
Meanwhile, the scientists evaluated how the time between sample preparation and incubation affected the detection of Salmonella in stool samples contaminated with different strains.
Current Salmonella detection standards require an initial preconcentration step of 18 hours at 37°C (98.6°F).
Prior to incubation, multiple tests were performed from 45 minutes to 6 hours at room temperature 21°C (69.8°F) and 4°C (39.2°F). Results show that a storage time of 6 hours at 69.8 degrees Fahrenheit between sample preparation and incubation can reduce Salmonella detection by up to 50%, especially at low levels of contamination. This effect can be reduced by storing samples at 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
The results, published in the DGAL and ANSES Epidemiology Bulletin, highlight the importance of minimizing delays before pre-enrichment to ensure accurate detection, the researchers said.
The tests included Salmonella types Enteritidis, Typhimurium, Virchow, Infantis and Hadar at four different concentrations in buffered peptone water. Salmonella detection rates were higher at holding times of 45 minutes, 90 minutes, and 4 hours compared to 6 hours at room temperature.
