Changing diets and an ageing population may be contributing to a rise in serious Listeria infections across Europe, according to the new EU One Health Zoonoses Report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
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.”
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:
Enhanced surveillance tools, such as whole genome sequencing, allow authorities to detect and investigate outbreaks more effectively, supporting coordinated actions across the food chain.
