Investigations point to contamination involving pumpkin seeds from a processor in Lot-et-Garonne. Investigations are ongoing to find the root cause of the contamination.
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More than 80 people have fallen sick in a Salmonella outbreak in France connected to pumpkin seeds.
Santé Publique France and the National Reference Centre for Salmonella at the Institut Pasteur have identified 81 people infected by Salmonella Enteritidis.
Strains were isolated from sick people between May 3 and Aug. 12. Patients have been recorded in several French regions.
Patients are 56 women and 25 men, with an average age of 36. They live in 10 different regions but Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has the most cases with 27, followed by Île-de-France with 12.
Investigations by Santé publique France, the National Reference Centre for Salmonella, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Health point to contamination involving pumpkin seeds from a processor in Lot-et-Garonne. Investigations are ongoing to find the root cause of the contamination.
Epidemiological efforts by Santé publique France involved interviewing some of the affected people about products consumed before they became ill as well as the dates and locations of purchase.
Recall and withdrawal of seeds
Six people were hospitalized and two went to the emergency department because of their symptoms. They have all since recovered and returned home.
Seeds were distributed mainly through the Grand Frais retail chain. However, other retailers are affected, and the incident involves raw seeds sold individually and mixes containing contaminated pumpkin seeds.
Authorities in Lot-et-Garonne conducted an inspection at the implicated processing facility but the source of contamination was not identified.
A product withdrawal and recall were issued based on epidemiological and analytical findings. Various weights and lot codes of seeds were sold at Grand Frais stores between March 1 and Aug. 28. Affected products range in date from June 30, 2026, to July 17, 2027.
Products with ready to eat pumpkin seeds sold under the names mélange sportif, mélange Babylone, and mélange spécial salade estivale were also distributed to and have been recalled in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
Joe Whitworth
Prior to reporting for Food Safety News, Whitworth worked for William Reed as editor of Food Quality News before becoming food safety editor for Food Navigator. He was named in the Top 40 Food Safety Professionals Under 40 in 2023.
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