The number of salmonellosis cases is increasing across Europe, and it has also been detected in Estonia; the source of the disease is considered to be Ukrainian-made Reeva instant noodles, and the infected are mainly children, writes ERR News.
Although salmonellosis is usually contracted by eating raw eggs (for example, gogelmogeli – egg yolks beaten with sugar) or undercooked chicken, almost 90 people in 11 European countries have fallen ill after eating instant noodles, and the outbreak has also affected Estonia.
Juta Varjas, a representative of the Infectious Diseases Department of the Health Board, informed that six cases of Salmonella Stanley have been confirmed, and six more samples are being tested. The specific outbreak in Estonia has affected children, and the average age of those infected is ten years. According to Varjasa, this is the first time this strain of salmonella has been detected in Estonia, and there have been no previous cases where the source of the illness was instant noodles.
The Estonian Agricultural and Food Administration (AFA) learned about the contaminated noodles from the Health Board, not from the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Silvia Laiv-Mumma, chief specialist of the AFA’s Information Services Department, indicated that
the batches for which the alert was issued have not been sold in Estonia.
So far, three products from two batches have been analyzed, and pathogens have been found in two. More in-depth tests are currently underway, and the AFA informed that no batches will be recalled from sale until contamination with the bacteria is confirmed in the laboratory. Laiva-Mumma said that the manufacturer is outside the European Union, and the information will definitely reach it through suppliers and cooperation partners, and it must be assumed that the manufacturer will take the necessary measures to make the product safe.
Rimi sales manager Jelena Litvinovitš told ERR that food product recalls occur from time to time, but very rarely on a large scale. At the beginning of the year, an baby formula was recalled from sale throughout Europe, and now, when not even half a year has passed, instant noodles must be removed from sale.
Since the salmonella bacteria die at a temperature of 70 to 75 degrees, instant noodles would be safe for consumption if they were prepared according to the instructions. According to information provided by the Health Board, the infected people ate the noodles dry – as a crunchy snack.
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