Table 3 Overview of published chocolate outbreaks due to Salmonella contamination
From: International outbreak of SalmonellaOranienburg due to German chocolate
Year | Country | Serovar | Vehicle* | Source of contamination | cfu/g | No. of affected persons | Peak of outbreak | Age of cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Sweden | S. Durham | Chocolate products (n>1), | Cocoa powder | / | 110 | Dec-May | 53% ≤15 years |
1973 – 1974 | USA, Canada | S. Eastbourne | Chocolate balls from Canada | Cocoa beans | 2.5 | 200 | Dec-Feb. | 3 years (median) |
1982 | England, Wales | S. Napoli | Chocolate bars from Italy | Unknown | 2–23 | 272 | May-Aug | 58% ≤ 15 years |
1985 – 1986 | Canada | S. Nima | Chocolate coins from Belgium | Unknown | / | / | Dec-Jan | ? |
1987 | Norway, Finland | S. Typhimurium | Chocolate products, (n = 3) from Norway | Avian contamination speculated | ≤1 | 349 | Mar-May | 6 years (median) |
2001– 2002 | Germany, other European countries | S. Oranienburg | Two chocolate brands from Germany | Unknown | 1.1–2.8 | 439 | Oct-Dec | 15 years (median) |