The European Commission has set new rules for handling foodborne outbreaks. Starting August 23, 2026, EU countries must use Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to track certain pathogens in food and feed. These pathogens include Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, and Campylobacter.
When there’s a suspected outbreak, member states will need to gather samples from food, animals, and the environment. They will then perform WGS on these samples, which helps pinpoint the cause of the outbreak. The results will be sent to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA will analyze these results alongside data from health investigations to trace the outbreak’s source.
Authorities must ensure that at least one sample from each type of pathogen collected goes through WGS in an official lab. Additionally, food companies must provide isolates and WGS data to authorities if there’s a suspicion they are linked to an outbreak.
This coordinated effort aims to quickly identify contaminated food batches, helping protect public health and minimize economic losses related to food recalls. To support this process, companies will also need to include details like the date and country of sampling when reporting results.
The U.S. FDA has expressed support for these regulations, highlighting their potential to greatly improve food safety within the EU. However, some industry groups have raised concerns. For example, FoodDrinkEurope worries about the financial impact on smaller firms and the potential burden of additional regulations. Meanwhile, the European Chilled Food Federation is concerned about the long-term implications of sharing WGS data, fearing that companies could face undue blame for contamination.
Furthermore, associations like the Dutch Meat Association point out that not all companies have the resources to conduct WGS, which may lead to unfair conclusions about contamination sources. This could discourage investment in WGS research and reduce overall food safety progress.
