Flavored instant noodles linked to salmonella outbreak across Europe

Flavored instant noodles are linked to a cross-border salmonella outbreak that has sickened 106 people across 14 countries and sent at least 49 to hospital. Most of the confirmed infections involved children and young adults.

The European Food Safety Authority published its rapid outbreak assessment on June 30, 2026. The illnesses were reported between November 2025 and June 2026. The countries named in the assessment were Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. EFSA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control identified flavored noodle products as the most likely source after epidemiological evidence connected cases in Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania to products from the same brand.

The outbreak strain was detected in chicken-flavored and hot chicken-flavored noodle products in Germany and Lithuania, and the strain was linked to the same producer in Ukraine. Other Salmonella strains were also found in products from the same brand.

Reeva Foods detected a possible salmonella issue in a batch of instant noodles distributed in the Baltic market and produced by Euro Food Service, the Ukrainian manufacturer of Reeva products. It launched an internal probe and withdrew batches, then added independent laboratory testing, audits, environmental monitoring and extra preventive measures. In Germany, regulators recalled Reeva Instant Noodle Dish Chicken Flavor 60 grams, lot L0126, with an expiration date of April 5, 2027.

Some patients ate the noodles without cooking them, using only the seasoning packet. Consumers should not eat recalled products, should return or discard them, and should follow label instructions for products that require further preparation. More cases may still appear because the products have a long shelf life and can remain in household kitchens for extended periods. Salmonella infection can cause diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps, and the greatest risk of severe illness falls on young children, older adults and people with weaker immune systems.