Swedish officials are continuing to investigate a Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs from Ukraine.
The Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten) reported that the number of cases is significantly lower in 2025 compared to 2024, but new infections are still being recorded.
In 2024, 100 infections with one of about 10 different types of Salmonella that were epidemiologically linked to eggs were reported. So far this year, 12 people have been found to carry one of these variants and several of them consumed eggs as an unheated ingredient in bearnaise sauce, including at restaurants.
Salmonella Enteritidis was detected in a batch of Ukrainian eggs last year when a large number of samples were analyzed. Other testing of eggs, which were sampled from the homes of sick people or from restaurants that have had outbreaks, failed to detect Salmonella.
Folkhälsomyndigheten said this shows it is difficult to find Salmonella and it can be unevenly distributed between different groups of and eggs within the same batch.
Eggs are marked with a special code that shows, among other things, which country they come from. Eggs from Sweden are marked SE and eggs from Ukraine have UA.
Folkhälsomyndigheten is continuing to monitor the situation with help from the Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket), and regional agencies.
Food control changes
Also in Sweden, Peter Kullgren, Minister for Rural Affairs, has received a report from an inquiry into the organization and financing of official controls in the food chain. Conclusions included a call for a change in the control structure.
The inquiry made proposals on organization, financing, collaboration, and advice and support in the control of food, feed, animal by-products (ABP) as well as animal welfare controls in connection with slaughter.
The long-term goal is a centralized single authority for the entire food chain that is responsible for all official controls.
To achieve more uniform and equal controls, the report proposed to change the number of authorities for food, feed and animal by-products from 270 to two, with Livsmedelsverket handling checks on food instead of local or regional agencies. Authorities will need units that will be present in every county. Changes may come into effect in Jan. 2028.
Another suggestion was that inspection fees in certain areas should be removed or reduced to strengthen competitiveness in the supply chain.
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