Marler Clark, Inc., PS (LexBlog Switzerland)

Reports of most major pathogens increased in Switzerland in 2024 and the country continued to battle a serious Listeria outbreak. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) reported that Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli infections went up but Listeria cases declined. Campylobacteriosis remained the top recorded infection in humans. A total of 8,280 laboratory-confirmed...

Testing by scientists has found Salmonella in imported chicken meat in Switzerland. Researchers investigated Salmonella prevalence in 200 chicken samples from Swiss retail stores. Six imported samples tested positive and the isolates were all Salmonella Infantis. Between May and July 2024, chicken meat samples were randomly collected from nine stores in Switzerland. This included chilled...

Non-pathogenic Listeria, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus have been detected in plant-based products tested in Switzerland. The study, published in the Journal of Food Protection, assessed the microbiological quality and occurrence of some foodborne pathogens in plant-based meat alternatives from Swiss retailers. Plant-based meat alternative products have a high water activity, high...

A survey in Switzerland has found that higher living costs have had a negative impact on the food safety behavior of consumers, according to a recently released report. The general cost of living and especially energy prices have risen sharply since April 2022. More than 1,200 people in Switzerland were surveyed in February 2024 about...

A major Listeria outbreak in Switzerland has sickened more than 30 since 2022 and seven people have died. The first case was reported in April 2022, and the outbreak peak occurred in 2023. The last sick person became ill in June 2024.  An article in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal revealed that the median age...

Fewer people were sick but more died in outbreaks in Switzerland in 2023, largely due to a Listeria outbreak with five fatalities, according to a recent report. A total of 40 outbreaks were reported by Swiss authorities in 2023. More than 260 people fell ill, at least 40 were hospitalized and there were six deaths....

The owner of a dairy company in Switzerland that was behind a fatal Listeria outbreak has received a suspended prison sentence. A district court in Schwyz gave the verdict of a conditional sentence of 24 months and a fine for the cheese producer. From 2018 to 2020, the Listeria outbreak killed 10 people and was...

Researchers have shared details about how a Listeria outbreak in Switzerland in 2022 traced to fish was solved. In the summer of 2022, the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP) noticed increased reports of listeriosis cases, indicating a possible outbreak. Twenty Listeria monocytogenes patient isolates were found to belong to an outbreak cluster, and 18 cases...

Switzerland has reported a rise in warnings and recalls in 2023 compared to the year before. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) published 17 public warnings and 73 recalls for food compared to nine public warnings and 39 recalls in 2022. Recalls are conducted by companies and public warnings are made by Swiss...

The owner of a dairy company in Switzerland is facing criminal charges about a fatal Listeria outbreak. The public prosecutor’s office in Schwyz announced this week that it had completed the criminal investigation that had opened in August 2020 against the owner of a cheese factory. Käserei Vogel was closed by the business owner in...

Researchers have highlighted increased foodborne outbreaks in Switzerland in the past 15 years. Foodborne outbreaks in the country are identified by cantonal authorities and reported to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). Between 2007 and 2021, 200 outbreaks were recorded. The highest amount during the study period was in 2021, and the lowest...

According to recently released figures, the number of outbreaks and illnesses has risen in Switzerland in 2022 compared to the year before. A total of 40 outbreaks were reported by Swiss authorities in 2022. Over 780 people fell ill, at least 40 were hospitalized, and one died. Outbreaks had been rare, with only 13 in...

Listeria and coagulase-positive Staphylococci have been found during inspections of fruit salads in Switzerland, according to the Swiss Association of Cantonal Chemists (ACCS). Cantonal chemists analyzed the microbiological quality of fruit salads by taking 205 samples.                                                                                                          During the control,...

Some inspections of businesses are not being carried out at the correct frequency, according to the Swiss Federal Audit Office. Auditors found national authorities in Switzerland are not ensuring that local agencies check food firms often enough. The audit was in March and April 2022 and five recommendations have been made. Authorities are responsible for...

The number of recalls went up in 2021 but public warnings dropped in Switzerland, according to recently published figures. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) published 18 public warnings and 61 recalls for food in 2021 compared to 28 warnings and 49 recalls the year before. Recalls are published by companies and public...