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Austrian health and food authorities have warned people not to eat raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta in Sicily, following Salmonella infections and evidence linking tomatoes to recurring outbreaks. Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases; the source and extent of any continuing contamination remain under investigation.
Austrian authorities have warned consumers not to eat raw cherry tomatoes from the Sicilian areas of Ragusa and Caltanissetta, following Salmonella infections and investigations linking tomatoes to recurring outbreaks. If tomatoes from those areas are used, officials say they should be thoroughly heated before eating.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection issued the warning. Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable cases of Salmonella Strathcona across seven federal states. Initial interviews with patients point to travel in Italy and tomato consumption, but those findings alone do not establish how each person became infected.
One Austrian patient became ill during the winter, while 28 people fell ill from the end of July. Seven patients were hospitalized. Those affected had a median age of 36, with ages ranging from 10 months to 79 years; 17 were male and 12 female. Six infections were assessed as likely acquired abroad: five patients had traveled to Italy and one to Croatia before becoming ill.
Earlier in October, Italian authorities reported finding Salmonella Strathcona and monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium in cherry tomatoes. They also reported 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo. The source material does not establish that every Italian case was linked to the same tomato batches or to the Austrian cases.
How the Warning Affects Consumers
The warning gives consumers and food businesses a specific precaution: do not serve the named tomatoes raw, and thoroughly heat them if they must be used. That matters because cherry tomatoes are often eaten without cooking, so a contaminated product could be served directly unless suppliers and kitchens follow the advice.
The concern extends beyond individual purchases. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says the recurrence of cases points to ongoing transmission and distribution of contaminated produce, in Italy and potentially elsewhere. For consumers, the alert is a reason to check the origin of tomatoes where it is available and follow official instructions, rather than assuming that all tomatoes or all products from Italy are affected.
Hospitalizations among Austrian patients show that the outbreak has had serious effects for some people, although the supplied information does not describe their conditions or establish which products caused their illnesses. The reported age range, from an infant to an older adult, also shows that cases have occurred across different age groups.
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European Outbreaks and Tomato Checks
The Austrian alert is part of a wider, recurring European investigation. Since July 2026, authorities have recorded more than 160 confirmed infections in 10 countries; sequencing results are pending for another 100 patients. The ECDC says the seasonal recurrence suggests a common, continuing source may be involved, but the root cause has not been identified.
Across the period from 2023 to 2026, 800 people in 17 European countries have fallen ill, including 133 in Austria. Cases have occurred mostly from late summer through December. Germany recorded 116 cases in its largest Salmonella Strathcona outbreak of the 2025–2026 season; its Robert Koch Institute reported 39 patients associated with the outbreak since June 2026.
Evidence cited in the report includes genetic similarities between cases, their seasonal pattern, patient interviews and food investigations. AGES detected the outbreak strain in organic cherry tomatoes from Italy in late 2025, and the strain was also found in irrigation water at a tomato producer in Sicily. These findings support a possible shared contamination source but do not, on their own, identify how contamination occurred or establish that all cases came from one producer.
“The risk for new infections remains as long as the seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues.”
— The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
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Source and Distribution Still Unclear
Authorities have not identified the root cause of the contamination or established the full distribution of affected tomatoes. While interviews, genetic findings and food investigations support a link to tomatoes, the available report does not confirm that every case in Austria, Italy or other countries came from the same batch or producer.
It is also not clear how many patients in the wider European investigation will be linked to the outbreak once sequencing is complete. The report gives no product names, lot codes, specific retail outlets or detailed date ranges for the Austrian warning, limiting consumers’ ability to identify an affected purchase from this information alone. The warning is specific to raw cherry tomatoes from the two named Sicilian areas; it should not be read as evidence that all tomatoes are contaminated.
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Testing and Traceback Continue
Health and food-safety agencies are expected to continue investigating cases, testing food and environmental samples, and tracing how tomatoes from the named areas moved through supply chains. The pending sequencing results for about 100 patients may help clarify how many infections belong to the wider outbreak, while further investigation is needed to identify the contamination source and any controls required.
Consumers should follow current instructions from Austrian authorities and heed origin information provided by sellers or food businesses. The supplied report does not give an end date for the warning or announce a particular recall, so readers should check official updates for any changes to the advice or identification of affected products.
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Key Questions
Which tomatoes are covered by Austria’s warning?
The warning covers raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta, two areas in Sicily. The report does not name specific brands, shops or lot numbers.
Can the tomatoes be eaten if they are cooked?
Austrian authorities say that if cherry tomatoes from the named areas must be used, they should be thoroughly heated before consumption. Follow any newer instructions issued by local authorities.
How many Salmonella cases have been reported in Austria?
Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases across seven federal states. The report says seven people were hospitalized.
Have officials confirmed that tomatoes caused every case?
No. Patient interviews and food investigations point to tomatoes as a possible common source, and authorities have found the outbreak strain in tomatoes and irrigation water. The precise source and link to individual cases have not been confirmed for everyone.
Are all Italian tomatoes affected?
The reported Austrian warning names cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta. The source material does not say that all tomatoes from Italy, or all tomatoes generally, are affected.
Source: rss
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