Ukrainian instant noodles linked to EU salmonella outbreak
The EU health authorities have linked Ukrainian-made instant noodles to a salmonella outbreak that has affected more than 100 people across Europe.
From November 2025 to June 2026, at least 106 infections were recorded in 13 EU member states and the UK, according to a joint statement released on Wednesday by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The outbreak has primarily affected children and young adults, with at least 49 people hospitalized.
Salmonella causes intestinal infection, typically resulting in diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps. While most patients recover without specific treatment, the disease can be life-threatening for people with weakened immune systems. No deaths linked to the contaminated noodles have been reported.
Investigators traced the majority of cases to flavored instant noodles produced by an unnamed Ukrainian manufacturer. Salmonella was detected in multiple batches of the products, suggesting “the possibility of multiple contamination sources,” the agencies said.
“Flavoured noodle products are the most likely source of an ongoing multi-country outbreak of infections, with evidence linking the cases to items from the same brand,” a joint EFSA-ECDC statement reads. “Investigations have linked the products, which were distributed in several countries, to the same producer in Ukraine. This suggests a possible common source of contamination at the production plant level, although further investigation is needed.”
Infections were detected in the UK, Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Sweden, but not all the cases have been positively linked to the Ukrainian producer, the agencies said.
While the report from the EU health authorities comes after instant foods manufacturer Reeva acknowledged an issue with its noodles, it was not immediately clear whether the brand was behind the outbreak. Last week, the multinational company issued a statement regarding the “alleged detection” of a salmonella strain in a specific batch of noodles distributed in the Baltic states. Reeva said the offending batch was produced by its Ukrainian manufacturer, Euro Food Service.
