Listeria monocytogenes in EU Food Imports — RASFF Notifications
Listeria monocytogenes appeared in 942 RASFF notifications between 2019 and 2026 — 3.9% of the 23,968 notifications that identify a hazard. The origins cited most often are France, Poland, Italy. The most-affected product category is Fish and Fish Products. Volume in 2025 was down 1% on 2024.
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Listeria monocytogenes notifications by year
| Year | Notifications | of which border rejections | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | — | |
| 2020 | 124 | 0 | — | |
| 2021 | 120 | 0 | -3.2% | |
| 2022 | 126 | 0 | +5.0% | |
| 2023 | 118 | 0 | -6.3% | |
| 2024 | 162 | 0 | +37.3% | |
| 2025 | 160 | 0 | -1.2% | |
| 2026 | 124 | 0 | — | YTD |
| Total | 942 |
Origins most cited for Listeria monocytogenes
| # | Origin country | Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 207 |
| 2 | Poland | 97 |
| 3 | Italy | 92 |
| 4 | Belgium | 81 |
| 5 | Netherlands | 73 |
| 6 | Spain | 56 |
| 7 | Germany | 43 |
| 8 | Ireland | 32 |
| 9 | Lithuania | 30 |
| 10 | Denmark | 24 |
| 11 | Latvia | 17 |
| 12 | Romania | 17 |
| 13 | Czech Republic | 16 |
| 14 | Norway | 16 |
| 15 | China | 14 |
| 16 | Austria | 12 |
| 17 | United Kingdom | 12 |
| 18 | Hungary | 11 |
| 19 | Sweden | 11 |
| 20 | Brazil | 7 |
| 21 | Bulgaria | 6 |
| 22 | Serbia | 6 |
| 23 | Slovakia | 6 |
| 24 | Turkey | 6 |
| 25 | Croatia | 5 |
| 26 | Estonia | 5 |
| 27 | United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) | 5 |
| 28 | Greece | 4 |
| 29 | Portugal | 4 |
| 30 | Switzerland | 4 |
Product categories where Listeria monocytogenes appears
| # | Product category | Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fish and Fish Products | 235 |
| 2 | Milk and Milk Products | 229 |
| 3 | Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) | 205 |
| 4 | Poultry Meat and Poultry Meat Products | 89 |
| 5 | Prepared Dishes and Snacks | 52 |
| 6 | Fruits and Vegetables | 51 |
| 7 | Other Food Product / Mixed | 30 |
| 8 | Crustaceans and Products Thereof | 20 |
| 9 | Cereals and Bakery Products | 10 |
| 10 | Ices and Desserts | 5 |
| 11 | Bivalve Molluscs and Products Thereof | 2 |
| 12 | Herbs and Spices | 2 |
| 13 | Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 2 |
| 14 | Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 2 |
| 15 | Animal By-Products | 1 |
Recent Listeria monocytogenes notifications
- 2026.7859 GermanyMilk and Milk ProductsListeria monocytogenes in various organic cheese products from Germany Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7830 FranceCrustaceans and Products ThereofListeria monocytogenes in chilled cooked whole shrimps from France Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7820 FranceFish and Fish ProductsPresence of Listeria monocytogenes in Tarama from France Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7770 DenmarkFish and Fish ProductsListeria monocytogenes in smoked trout Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7719 SwedenOther Food Product / MixedDetection of Listeria monocytogenes in ready to eat dish Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7708 IrelandMilk and Milk ProductsPresence of Listeria monocytogenes in in Buffalo Mozzarella and Bocconcini cheese from Ireland Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7643 FranceMilk and Milk ProductsListeria in organic brie, from France. Listeria
- 2026.7636 LithuaniaPoultry Meat and Poultry Meat ProductsListeria detected in sliced chicken product Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7576 ItalyMilk and Milk ProductsListeria monocytogenes in sweet gorgonzola Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7533 CyprusMilk and Milk ProductsListeria monocytogenes in halloumi from Cyprus Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7114 BelgiumMeat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry)Listeria monocytogenes in chilled pork from Belgium Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.7034 FranceFruits and VegetablesPrésence Listeria monocytogenes in frozen peas and carrots Listeria
- 2026.6987 PolandFish and Fish ProductsListeria monocytogenes 50 jtk/g łosoś chłodzony///Listeria monocytogenes 50 cfu/g in chilled Norwegian salmon portions with skin Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.6975 NorwayFish and Fish ProductsListeria monocytogenes in frozen salmon from Denmark Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.6950 PortugalMeat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry)Listeria monocytogenes Meat-based product – Chouriça Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.6910 FranceCephalopods and Products ThereofListeria in octopus Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.6891 NetherlandsPrepared Dishes and SnacksListeria in a rice tuna (triangle) snack, from the Netherlands Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.6843 CroatiaMeat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry)Listeria monocytogenes in smoked ribs from Croatia with raw materials originating from Germany Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.6758 BrazilPoultry Meat and Poultry Meat ProductsListeria monocytogenes detected in Frozen (IQF) Chicken Breast Listeria monocytogenes
- 2026.6753 ChinaFish and Fish ProductsListeria monocytogenes in Squid Salad from China Listeria
About Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a rare but serious foodborne illness that is most dangerous for pregnant women, newborns and the elderly. Unlike most pathogens it grows at refrigeration temperatures, so EU notifications concentrate in ready-to-eat foods: smoked and cured fish, soft cheeses and other dairy, and cooked meat products.
Which RASFF notifications does this page count?
All classifications: alert notifications, border rejection notifications and information notifications. A consignment rejected at the border and a product recalled from shelves are both evidence that the hazard reached EU food controls, so both count. The by-year table shows the border-rejection share separately.
What happens when this hazard is found in a consignment?
At the border, the consignment is refused entry and either re-dispatched, destroyed or downgraded to non-food use. On the internal market, the product is withdrawn or recalled and every member state that received it is notified through RASFF. Repeated findings against one origin can move that origin onto Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, which fixes an increased frequency of identity and physical checks at the border.
Where does this data come from?
The public RASFF Window operated by the European Commission, refetched daily. Counts are per notification, so one consignment listing several variants of the same hazard is counted once.