Germany: Listeria is a frequent cause of food recalls
Fruit, vegetables, meat and confectionery particularly affected
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The federal states and the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and food safety (BVL) published 323 recalls on the joint portal lebensmittelwarnung.de in 2025. Pathogens were the reason for almost a third of the reports. Listeria was the most common cause with 43 reports, followed by salmonella (27). Both bacteria can cause serious illnesses.
"In previous years, salmonella was at the top of the list of pathogens that led to food recalls," says BVL President Prof. Dr. Gaby-Fleur Böl. "Listeria has now been at the top of this list since 2024." While healthy people usually do not notice an infection with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, it can lead to serious illness, especially in people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly, newborns, chronically ill people and pregnant women. Listeria can also continue to multiply in the refrigerator. Higher temperatures, such as when cooking, frying or grilling, kill the bacteria.
In addition to pathogens, allergens, foreign bodies and harmful substances, residues and contaminants have prompted food companies to recall their products. The reports published on lebensmittelwarnung.de related to food in 90 percent of cases. Of these 291 reports, a good third could be assigned to the product categories "fruit and vegetables" (38), "meat and sausage products" (37) and "ice cream and confectionery" (32). Consumer goods such as clothing, toys or food packaging accounted for around 7.5 percent of the reports, while the remaining 2.5 percent concerned cosmetic products.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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Topic world Food safety
Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.
Topic world Food safety
Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.