Salmonellosis is the second most reported gastrointestinal disorder in the EU resulting from the consumption of Salmonella-contaminated foods. Symptoms include gastroenteritis, abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhoea, fever, myalgia, headache, nausea and vomiting. In 2018, Salmonella accounted for more than half of the numbers of foodborne outbreak illnesses reported in the EU. Salmonella contamination is mostly associated with produce such as poultry, cattle and their feeds but other products such as dried foods, infant formula, fruit and vegetable products and pets have become important. Efforts aimed at controlling Salmonella are being made. For example, legislation and measures put in place reduced the number of hospitalizations between 2014 and 2015. However, the number of hospitalizations started to increase in 2016. This calls for more stringent controls at the level of government and the private sector. Food handlers of “meat processing” and “Ready to Eat” foods play a crucial role in the spread of Salmonella. This review presents an updated overview of the global epidemiology, the relevance of official control, the disease associated with food handlers and the importance of food safety concerning salmonellosis.

w and Control (ECDC) has provided data on zoonotic infections including analyses for EU Summary Reports since 2005. Since 2008, data on human cases have been received via The European Surveillance System (TESSy) and maintained by the ECDC. Furthermore, in 2019 the annual EU Summary Reports regarding zoonosis, zoonotic agents and foodborne outbreaks have been renamed the "EU One Health Zoonosis Summary Report" (EUOHZ) and are coauthored by EFSA and ECDC. In December 2021, EFSA and the ECDC jointly released a report regarding foodborne outbreaks in 2020. The report found that Salmonella was the agent most frequently identified in foodborne outbreaks within the EU accounting for 22.5% of outbreaks. Further analysis of the 2020 report revealed a progressive increase in the fatality and hospitalization rates connected with L. monocytogenes, which were 62.5% and Salmonella 16.7% (ECDC 2019). The report also found the number of reported foodborne outbreaks had decreased when compared to 2019 by 47% with human cases falling by 61%, hospitalizations by 60% and deaths by 43%. Indirect consequences Meabh Manning and Aine Maye contributed equally.