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) |