The number of people sick in a multi-country Salmonella outbreak in Europe has passed 100.
Between November 2025 and June 2026, 106 confirmed Salmonella Stanley cases were reported in 13 European countries and the United Kingdom. The outbreak has mainly affected children and young adults, with 49 people requiring hospitalization.
The UK has the most patients with 29 followed by Lithuania with 23, Germany with 14, and Denmark with 10. Patients in the UK range in age from less than 1 to 84 years old. They are aged 2 to 20 in Lithuania, aged 3 to 26 in Germany, and aged 5 to 22 in Denmark.
The outbreak was initially detected by Denmark and reported to the European surveillance portal for infectious diseases (EpiPulse) in late March.
Not following instructions on the label
Epidemiological investigations found that patients in Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania consumed flavored instant noodle products from the Reeva brand before falling ill.
“Flavored noodles are a popular quick snack, and we are experiencing a trend where children and young people in particular are eating the product directly from the package. This is absolutely not advisable, as the product is not ready to eat,” said Ulrich Pinstrup, from the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency.
In Latvia, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SKPC) said there are three cases in primary school children who fell ill in April and May. They had consumed Reeva instant noodles raw without adding boiling water and not according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The outbreak strain has been detected in Germany and Lithuania in chicken-flavored and hot-chicken-flavored noodle products from one brand. In Lithuania, testing of other batches from the same brand found Salmonella Richmond and Salmonella Newport. In Estonia, a chicken-flavored noodle product was positive for Salmonella Senftenberg.
Ukraine link
In Germany, Reeva Instant Noodle Dish Chicken Flavor 60 grams was recalled. The affected lot is L0126 with an expiration date of April 5, 2027. According to SLCO GmbH & Co. KG, an investigation by authorities in Saxony detected Salmonella Stanley in the product.
Products have been traced to a producer in Ukraine. This points to a common source of contamination at production plant level, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Other strains of Salmonella have been detected, suggesting that more than one contamination source may be involved.
There have been reports of chicken consumption in most affected countries, with processed products including nuggets, kebab meat, sausages, and ready-to-eat items frequently consumed.
The Ukrainian producer conducted an internal investigation into the contamination. However, the ingredient used as flavoring was negative for Salmonella.
ECDC said that further cases may occur because the products have a long shelf life and could remain stored in households for long periods.