Marler Clark LLP, PS (LexBlog Switzerland)

The number of foodborne outbreaks almost tripled in Switzerland in 2021 compared to the year before. This past year, 37 outbreaks were reported with 540 people sick and 40 hospitalized versus 13 outbreaks in 2020. Officials at the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office said the increase could be random, it could be due to...

An assessment of Listeria controls at food companies in Switzerland has shown room for improvement, according to the Swiss Association of Cantonal Chemists (ACCS). As part of a nationwide inspection, more than 100 food businesses were checked to see whether they were meeting their legal obligations. This led to three companies being reported to the...

Officials in Switzerland have been unable to find what was behind an increase in hepatitis E infections that affected more than 100 people in 2021. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recorded a rise in cases of hepatitis E virus (HEV) between January and May 2021. A total of 105 cases were reported across...

Topics involving Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter were discussed at the latest meeting of a European network dedicated to microbial risk assessment. The Scientific Network on Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA Network) has 25 European Union member states as well as Switzerland and Norway as observer countries. It is coordinated by the European Food Safety Authority...

A survey on herb and spice authenticity in Europe has found potential adulteration, illegal dyes and allergens. The work was overseen by DG SANTE, the European Commission’s health and safety body, and carried out in 21 EU member states, Switzerland and Norway. Technical support came from the Joint Research Centre, an agency that provides scientific...

A study in Switzerland has identified feeding pets raw meat could be a potential source of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli for people and animals. Giving domesticated animals raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) is becoming increasingly popular but can be the source of human Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections. Researchers evaluated the occurrence of STEC in...

Imported frozen mixed berries are suspected to be behind an outbreak of norovirus in Switzerland. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) told Food Safety News that the agency was informed by cantonal food enforcement authorities that illnesses were probably due to berries contaminated with norovirus. A canton is a region of the country....

Campylobacter and Salmonella infections declined in Switzerland in 2020 while Listeria was stable despite a large outbreak. E. coli reports fell for the first time since 2014. The COVID-19 pandemic likely influenced disease reports, researchers said. Factors such as resources being diverted to coronavirus, hygiene measures and travel restrictions may explain the trend. The Federal...

The number of foodborne outbreaks in Switzerland almost halved in 2020 compared to the year before. Only 13 outbreaks were reported following the consumption of food this past year versus 23 in 2019. Overall, more than 161 people became ill and at least 36 were hospitalized. Ten deaths were recorded in one outbreak. In 2019,...

Swiss authorities have published information about 80 food recalls from 2017 to 2019. The number of public warnings for food increased sharply between 2018 and 2019 and the amount of food recalls also went up between 2017 and 2019. During the past five years the country has seen food recall alerts and public warnings grow...

A multi-year Listeria outbreak in Switzerland that killed 10 people was linked to pasteurized cheese products, according to a study. The incident highlights the risk for recontamination of cheese during manufacturing and emphasizes the need for routine sampling of products, manufacturing equipment, and the production environment, said researchers in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The...

E. coli infections continued to climb in Switzerland in 2019, according to the country’s surveillance report on zoonoses and outbreaks of food poisoning. The most common zoonoses were again campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis. There were about 7,000 cases of campylobacteriosis and 1,500 of salmonellosis, but the actual number is likely to be higher, according to the Federal...

At least 11 people in Switzerland have been infected by Listeria and two have died after eating contaminated cheese. Officials from the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) told Food Safety News that analysis is pending for a further 10 infections to see if they belong to the outbreak cluster. A total of 28...

Four patients have been infected by Listeria and one has died after eating potentially contaminated cheese at a hospital in Switzerland. During an internal check, Käserei Vogel AG, based in Steinerberg, found Listeria in semi-hard cheese and at its production site. The company issued a recall and informed its buyers to remove the products from...

Phytosanitary certificates will have to accompany most plants and plant products — including some foods — entering the European Union (EU) counties beginning Dec. 14. The new EU rules mean expanded inspections for U.S. plant products. Before plants and other raw and minimally processed plant products can enter EU member states, or Switzerland or Montenegro,...

Campylobacter was the top cause of illness while E. coli numbers reached a record high last year, according to foodborne illness figures from Switzerland. The 2018 surveillance report of zoonoses and outbreaks of food poisoning revealed a decline in Salmonella and a slight increase in Listeria with only a dozen foodborne outbreaks reported. In 2018,...