More cases are expected until proper control measures are implemented.

A Salmonella outbreak is affecting seven countries with the United Kingdom reporting the highest number of people sick.

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there are 207 confirmed Salmonella Enteritidis cases between August 2025 and August 2026. A total of 199 patients live in England, six are from Scotland, while Wales and Northern Ireland both have one case each.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported 106 infections in the Netherlands. There are also 15 cases in Belgium, two in Austria, one in Denmark, four in France, and six in Germany.

There were 341 confirmed infections between May 2025 and August 2026. In total, 152 cases were reported since May 2026, mostly by Netherlands and the UK.

Patients range in age from under 1 to 90 with a median of 31 years old. At least 34 people have been hospitalized and one person in the UK has died.

Link to eggs and poultry products
Epidemiological investigations in the UK point to imported eggs as the suspected vehicle of infection.

The Netherlands observed a peak in cases in August to September 2025. A small number of patient interviews linked illnesses to chicken meat.

ECDC said the multi-country Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak is ongoing. Epidemiological investigations indicate eggs and chicken products as potential sources of infection. More cases are expected until proper control measures are implemented.

The outbreak strain was involved in a previous outbreak reported by the Netherlands. Eggs or poultry were the suspected cause.

In 2025, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) investigated a major outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis with 80 patients. Possible sources were chicken products and eggs, but no clear cause was found. 

After a period without patients, new infections appeared again in 2026, so the outbreak investigation was restarted in July. 

UK view
Jacquelyn McCormick, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), said: “The exact cause has not yet been identified, however investigations so far have identified links to eggs imported from outside the UK, mainly used by food service and catering establishments such as restaurants or cafes, as a potential source.  There is no evidence that UK-produced eggs are affected.” 

Several organizations have joined the British Egg Industry Council in raising concerns about the risks associated with imported eggs and egg products.

Will Raw, NFU Poultry Board chair, said it was hugely concerning that eggs from abroad are being linked to a serious outbreak of Salmonella in the UK.

“Food produced to standards that would be illegal in the UK is still being allowed into our market. This simply cannot be allowed to continue. Government must ensure at a minimum that adequate checks are being conducted on imports to ensure all food coming into the country is safe and introduce a robust system of core production standards that applies equally to domestic and imported food.”

Clement Lynch, deputy president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, said: “This is a serious food safety issue and it is important that the source is established quickly. There is currently no evidence linking UK-produced eggs or poultry to the outbreak, and consumers should remain confident in locally produced eggs.”

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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