Serious Listeria infections rising in Europe, EU report warns

Every year, thousands of people across Europe fall ill after eating contaminated food, with eggs, meat and ready-to-eat (RTE) food products among the most frequent sources of infection. The report shows that while food safety standards in Europe remain high, foodborne diseases continue to affect people across all age groups – especially those most vulnerable to severe illness – even though many of these diseases are preventable.

Listeria: a rare but serious infection

In 2024, Listeria caused the highest proportion of hospitalisations and deaths among all foodborne infections reported in the European Union (EU). About 7 in 10 people infected with Listeria needed hospital care, and 1 in 12 people died.

The upward trend of infections seen in recent years may reflect several factors, including Europe’s ageing population, changing eating habits – such as the increasing consumption of RTE foods – as well as improper food handling and storage practices.

For RTE foods, contamination levels remain very low across most categories: the latest data onListeria monocytogenes show that the proportion of samples exceeding the EU food safety limits ranged from 0% to 3% across all products analysed, with fermented sausages being the most frequently contaminated products.

“Even though contamination is rare, Listeria can cause severe illness, which makes it one of the most serious foodborne threats we monitor,” said Ole Heuer, Head of ECDC’s One Health Related Diseases Unit. “Protecting vulnerable groups, such as older adults, pregnant women or those with weakened immune systems, requires strong surveillance, safe food production and key precautions at home.” 

Other common foodborne infections

While Listeria poses the greatest risk of severe illness, Campylobacter and Salmonella remain the most common causes of foodborne illness in Europe, with poultry meat and eggs being important sources of infection.

Recent data in the animal sector also show significant increase over the past decade in the number of breeding chickens and turkey flocks testing positive for Salmonella. Controlling these bacteria in the food chain remains essential to reducing human cases:

“This year, a significant number of EU countries failed to meet all the targets for reducing Salmonella in poultry, with only 14 Member States reaching full compliance,” said Frank Verdonck, Head of EFSA’s Biological Hazards and Animal Health and Welfare Unit. “This reminds us that controlling foodborne bacteria along the food chain requires continuous effort and coordination across sectors, in line with the One Health approach.” 

Enhanced surveillance tools, such as whole genome sequencing Visualisation of the entire genetic makeup of a particular organism, allow authorities to detect and investigate outbreaks more effectively, supporting coordinated actions across the food chain.

Most foodborne diseases are preventable

Following proper food hygiene practices in the kitchen can help people greatly reduce the risk of infection. These include:

• Keeping the fridge at 5°C or below.
• Consuming foods, including ready-to-eat products, before the use-by date.
• Cooking food thoroughly, especially meat and poultry.
• Washing hands, knives and surfaces after handling raw foods.
• Keeping cooked food separated from raw products.

Vulnerable groups should avoid consuming high-risk foods, such as RTE products, unpasteurised milk and soft cheese made from it.

Resources

To make data more accessible, EFSA and ECDC are publishing a plain language summary (PLS) of the European Union One Health 2024 Zoonoses Report, along with storymaps and dashboards that allow users to search and visualise data on foodborne outbreaks and 14 zoonotic A term given to diseases and infections that can be transmitted between animals and humans pathogens. EFSA and ECDC are also publishing an infographic.

Background information

• About the report: The European Union One Health 2024 Zoonoses Report compiles surveillance data from 27 EU Member States, the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)* and 10 non-EU countries, covering humans, food, animals and feed.
• The One Health approach: Zoonotic pathogens affect both humans and animals and can spread through food, the environment or direct contact. The One Health approach recognises these connections and brings together human health, animal health and food safety data. This helps scientists and public health authorities to better understand where risks come from and how to prevent them, protecting both people and animals.
• About EFSA and ECDC: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) provides independent scientific advice on food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, nutrition The science of how diet relates to the body's need for sustenance, and environmental protection in the EU. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) works to strengthen Europe’s defences against infectious diseases by identifying, assessing and communicating current and emerging threats to human health.

*In accordance with the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 5(4) of the Windsor Framework in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Framework, for the purposes of this report, references to Member States include the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland.