A recent joint report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Food Safety Authority reveals a troubling link between sprouted alfalfa seeds and 509 reported cases of salmonellosis from January 2023 to January 2025.
Among the 10 affected countries, Norway has experienced the highest impact, recording 257 cases. Sweden follows with 110 cases, while Finland reports 94 and Germany sees 30.
Additional cases have emerged in the Netherlands (9), Denmark (4), France (3), the UK (1), Belgium (1), and Estonia (1).
Alfalfa, known as Lucerne in the UK, belongs to the legume family and is a widely consumed product.
This ongoing outbreak involves eight Salmonella serotypes, some of which are rarely reported in Europe, heightening concern among food safety experts.
National investigations across Europe have identified sprouts as the source of this infection, a conclusion supported by whole genome sequencing analysis conducted at a centralized EU level.
This analysis, coupled with food tracing techniques, has tied the affected seeds to a single supplier in Italy, which sourced them from three distinct growers in the same region.
Nevertheless, additional investigations are necessary to understand how these seeds became contaminated and to assess the potential for cross-contamination within the supply chain.
“Food safety authorities in the countries concerned implemented control measures, including withdrawal and recall of investigated batches, [which] significantly decreased case notifications,” stated the European Centre for Disease Prevention.
“However, several countries have detected new cases, indicating that contaminated seed batches may still be in circulation and further interventions needed. Cases may continue to occur until the point where the seeds were contaminated with Salmonella can be identified and properly controlled.”
Salmonella infections pose serious health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations such as infants, elderly individuals, and those with weakened immune systems. The European Centre for Disease Prevention advises that at-risk individuals should avoid consuming sprouted seeds unless they are thoroughly cooked.
In the meantime, producers of sprouted seeds must adhere strictly to food safety protocols to ensure that contaminated products do not reach consumers.
For further details, the complete report is available on the European Centre for Disease Prevention website.
