ECDC Public Health & Disease Brief

Headline

ECDC confirms ongoing multi-country Salmonella Stanley ST2045 outbreak linked to flavoured noodle products across 14 countries

Executive Summary

The ECDC rapid outbreak assessment reports 106 confirmed cases of Salmonella Stanley ST2045 across 13 EU/EEA countries and the United Kingdom, with at least 49 hospitalizations. The outbreak strain has been detected in chicken and hot-chicken noodle products from a specific brand traced to a producer in Ukraine. Withdrawals and recalls have been initiated in several affected countries.

Bottom Line

ECDC's rapid outbreak assessment confirms an active, multi-country Salmonella Stanley ST2045 outbreak linked to a specific brand of flavoured noodle products traced to a Ukrainian producer, with 106 confirmed cases and at least 49 hospitalizations across 14 countries. Withdrawals and recalls are in place in several countries, but the root cause remains unestablished and the long shelf life of the products sustains residual risk. Public health and food safety authorities are encouraged to continue case interviews, genomic sequencing, and supply-chain investigations. Cresthaven reading: food importers, distributors, and retailers with exposure to the identified product brand or its Ukrainian supply chain face continued national-level recall and withdrawal activity until contamination sources are confirmed.

Key Regulatory Signals

• Outbreak Remains Active Despite Recalls: ECDC states that withdrawals and recalls in several countries significantly reduce the likelihood of new infections, but the root cause and contamination points have not yet been established. The assessment notes that further cases could still occur given the products' long shelf life and potential household storage.
• Children and Young Adults Are the Primary Affected Population: The outbreak is described as mainly affecting children and young adults, with at least 49 hospitalizations recorded across the 106 confirmed cases reported between November 2025 and June 2026.
• Microbiological Evidence Ties Specific Brand to Ukrainian Producer: The outbreak strain has been detected in chicken-flavoured and hot-chicken noodle products of the same brand in Germany and Lithuania. Traceability investigations link those products to a single producer in Ukraine. Detection of additional Salmonella serovars raises the possibility of multiple contamination sources.
• Public Health and Food Safety Authorities Encouraged to Continue Investigations: ECDC encourages public health authorities to interview new cases, sequence isolates, and share data via EpiPulse. Food safety authorities are encouraged to continue investigating to verify the identified products as vehicles of infection and to identify contamination sources. Cresthaven reading: food business operators and importers handling products from the identified supply chain carry exposure to ongoing national recall and withdrawal actions as investigations continue.
• Consumer Guidance Issued on Preparation and Hygiene: ECDC advises consumers to follow label preparation instructions strictly, maintain proper food hygiene during preparation, and cook chicken products thoroughly, particularly for products that are not ready-to-eat.

Regulatory Delta

• No direct precedent for an ST2045 outbreak of this scale appears in ECDC's published rapid outbreak assessments. The multi-country scope and Ukrainian supply-chain link make this a structurally distinct event.
• The assessment raises the possibility of multiple contamination sources, based on detection of additional Salmonella serovars. This expands the investigative scope beyond the products initially identified.

Materiality Classification

MEDIUM — An active multi-country outbreak assessment with ongoing recalls and unresolved contamination source, requiring assessment by food business operators, importers, and distributors with exposure to the identified product brand or supply chain.

Intelligence Outlook

Monitor ECDC and national food safety authorities for updated rapid outbreak assessments identifying the contamination source, any expansion of the recall scope, and closure of this outbreak investigation.