- by croatiaweek
- in News
Cherry tomatoes linked to a salmonella outbreak in Italy have reached the Croatian market, with 150 kilogrammes distributed to five catering establishments in Istria and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatian authorities have confirmed.
According to the State Inspectorate, the tomatoes were purchased in Italy in early September and subsequently supplied to restaurants in Rijeka, Rovinj, Novigrad and Poreč.
The inspectorate confirmed that some businesses had purchased the affected tomatoes from a branch of the Metro wholesale chain in Trieste. Croatian authorities received a list of businesses that had placed the product on the domestic market through the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
The establishments involved operate seasonally and are currently closed, the inspectorate said. No consumer reports suggesting possible food poisoning linked to the restaurants had been received by sanitary inspectors.
Investigation into contamination
Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation following reports of a significant number of salmonella infections across several regions. Children are among those affected, with some requiring hospital treatment.
One line of investigation concerns the possible contamination of irrigation water used to grow the tomatoes.
Josip Kelemen, an adviser to Croatian consumer platform Halo, inspektore, told RTL Danas previous cases involving cherry tomato production in Sicily had raised concerns about possible contamination linked to wastewater.
Zdenko Mlinar, head of the sanitary microbiology department at the Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health in Zagreb, explained that salmonella can enter groundwater from animal faeces and subsequently contaminate water used to irrigate crops.
The contaminated water can transfer the bacteria to fruit and vegetables during cultivation.
According to information published through the European food safety alert system, a sample of the tomatoes was taken on 15 September. The product was distributed loose in transport boxes.
Food safety advice
The Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food (HAPIH) said salmonella contamination of tomatoes was not common, although the bacterium was among the leading causes of food recalls.
Jasenka Petrić, head of microbiological risk assessment at HAPIH’s Centre for Food Safety, said four food recalls linked to salmonella had been recorded in Croatia this year.
Food safety experts advise consumers to wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating them.
However, washing cannot guarantee the removal of all harmful microorganisms, and contaminated produce may still pose a health risk.
The investigation in Italy is continuing as authorities examine the circumstances surrounding the outbreak and the possible source of the contamination.