Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, which mainly affects older people, pregnant women, newborns and people with weak immune systems. Unlike many bacteria it can grow at fridge temperatures, so it matters most in ready to eat foods such as smoked fish, soft cheese and cooked meats. The EU sets food safety criteria for it in Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005.
1,074 notifications since 1 January 2020 named Listeria monocytogenes, 3% of all EU notifications in that time. 189 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 162 in the 365 days before, up 17%. 0% were border rejections and 78% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were France (255), Italy (107) and Poland (100). The product categories named most often were milk and milk products (277), fish and fish products (265) and meat other than poultry (230). The products named most often were cheese (247), salmon (144) and sausages (54).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Listeria, EFSA; Listeriosis fact sheet, World Health Organization; Microbiological criteria, European Commission.
Counts start on 1 January 2020 and run to 8 November 2026, the day the list was last read. A notification that names two countries of origin counts for each. Findings come from our word list matched against the EU subject line, which is never shown; 96% of all notifications match it, the rest count as other finding. Each reference links to the official record on RASFF Window. How this works.
Latest notifications that named Listeria monocytogenes
The newest 25 of 1,074, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for attention notified by Portugal: Listeria monocytogenes in ham from Spain, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9848, validated 5 November 2026.
- Alert notified by France: Listeria monocytogenes in a mixed food product from France, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9657, validated 30 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Belgium: Listeria monocytogenes in minced meat from Belgium, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9645, validated 29 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Czechia: Listeria monocytogenes in beef from Czechia, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9643, validated 29 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Switzerland: Listeria monocytogenes and moulds in cheese from Switzerland, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9637, validated 29 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Switzerland: Listeria monocytogenes in cheese from Switzerland, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9597, validated 28 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by France: Listeria monocytogenes in shrimps and prawns from France, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9543, validated 27 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Italy: Listeria monocytogenes in a prepared dish or snack from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9479, validated 23 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Latvia: Listeria monocytogenes in salmon from Norway, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9350, validated 21 October 2026.
- Alert notified by France: Listeria monocytogenes in meat from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9361, validated 21 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Denmark: Listeria monocytogenes in trout from Denmark, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9254, validated 19 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Slovakia: Listeria monocytogenes in beef from Czechia, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9176, validated 15 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Ireland: Listeria monocytogenes in salmon from Ireland, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9138, validated 14 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Latvia: Listeria monocytogenes in salmon from Lithuania, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8898, validated 8 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Lithuania: Listeria monocytogenes in meat from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8855, validated 7 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: Listeria monocytogenes in ready meals from the Netherlands, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8825, validated 6 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Ireland: Listeria monocytogenes in crabs from Ireland, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.8772, validated 5 October 2026.
- Alert notified by France: Listeria monocytogenes in cheese from France, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8718, validated 1 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Lithuania: Listeria monocytogenes in mackerel from Latvia, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.8667, validated 30 September 2026.
- Information for attention notified by France: Listeria monocytogenes in beef from France, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8623, validated 29 September 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Italy: Listeria monocytogenes in sausages from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8362, validated 21 September 2026.
- Alert notified by Latvia: Listeria monocytogenes in smoked fish from Lithuania, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8335, validated 21 September 2026.
- Alert notified by Belgium: Listeria monocytogenes in salmon from the Netherlands, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8307, validated 18 September 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Ireland: Listeria monocytogenes in chicken meat from China and Ireland, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8317, validated 18 September 2026.
- Alert notified by Poland: Listeria monocytogenes in ham from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8292, validated 18 September 2026.
Other bacteria, viruses and parasites: Salmonella, moulds, Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC).
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 144 |
| 2021 | 142 |
| 2022 | 140 |
| 2023 | 141 |
| 2024 | 177 |
| 2025 | 169 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 161 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alert | 698 | 65% |
| Information for follow up | 92 | 9% |
| Information for attention | 284 | 26% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 843 | 78% |
| Potentially serious | 94 | 9% |
| Potential risk | 38 | 4% |
| Not serious | 39 | 4% |
| Undecided | 58 | 5% |
| No risk | 2 | under 1% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Cheese | 247 |
| Salmon | 144 |
| Sausages | 54 |
| Chicken meat | 51 |
| Beef | 27 |
| Ham | 27 |
| Trout | 23 |
| Herring | 21 |
| Pork | 18 |
| Salad leaves | 17 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| France | 255 | 24% |
| Italy | 107 | 10% |
| Poland | 100 | 9% |
| Netherlands | 88 | 8% |
| Belgium | 84 | 8% |
| Spain | 58 | 5% |
| Germany | 47 | 4% |
| Ireland | 41 | 4% |
| Lithuania | 34 | 3% |
| Denmark | 29 | 3% |
| Norway | 23 | 2% |
| Latvia | 18 | 2% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Milk and milk products | 277 | 26% |
| Fish and fish products | 265 | 25% |
| Meat other than poultry | 230 | 21% |
| Poultry meat | 95 | 9% |
| Prepared dishes and snacks | 59 | 5% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 58 | 5% |
| Other and mixed food products | 37 | 3% |
| Crustaceans | 22 | 2% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 11 | 1% |
| Ices and desserts | 6 | under 1% |
| Cephalopods | 2 | under 1% |
| Herbs and spices | 2 | under 1% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| France | 303 | 28% |
| Netherlands | 121 | 11% |
| Germany | 115 | 11% |
| Italy | 95 | 9% |
| Belgium | 82 | 8% |
| Poland | 52 | 5% |
| Ireland | 46 | 4% |
| Switzerland | 31 | 3% |
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