Eighty-one people infected by the same strain of bacteria, distributed in different French regions, and an origin that leads straight to a producer from Lot-et-Garonne. This is the picture drawn on Friday 4 September by the French Ministries of Health and Agriculture, who announced the withdrawal and recall of several batches of pumpkin seeds sold mainly in the Grand Frais chain.
The outbreak and the numbers of the epidemic
According to the joint statement, Santé publique France, in collaboration with the National Reference Center (CNR) for Salmonella of the Institut Pasteur, has identified a genomic cluster of Salmonella Enteritidis which currently involves 81 people infected by the same bacterial strain. The strains were isolated between May 3 and August 12, 2026 on patients distributed across multiple regions of the country. Among the patients interviewed by the health authorities, six were hospitalized and two went to the emergency room. For everyone, however, the evolution of the symptoms was favorable and the patients returned home.
The suspicious origin and the recall
Investigations conducted by Santé publique France, the Ministries of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health point towards contamination of pumpkin seeds coming from a factory located in the Lot-et-Garonne department, in the south-west of France, distributed mainly in the Grand Frais store network. Other brands are involved, both for the raw seeds sold alone and for the mixes that contain them. An inspection conducted by the Departmental Directorate for Population Protection (DDPP) of Lot-et-Garonne at the offending company has so far failed to identify the exact source of the contamination. Without waiting for the complete outcome of the investigation, the epidemiological and analytical elements collected nevertheless pushed the manufacturer to independently initiate the withdrawal and recall of the products. The authorities have published two official sheets on the RappelConso platform, relating to the products marketed by Grand Frais, while other brands are preparing their own. Shops specializing in organic farming are excluded from the measure.
Symptoms and indications for consumers
Salmonella food poisoning usually manifests itself with gastrointestinal disorders, such as diarrhea and vomiting, which appear suddenly, often accompanied by fever and headache, within 6-72 hours of consuming the contaminated product. Symptoms may be more pronounced in young children, pregnant women, immunosuppressed people and the elderly. Anyone who has consumed pumpkin seeds purchased in the affected period and presents these disorders is invited to contact their doctor and report the exposure; in case of emergency, number 15 is active in France. If no symptoms appear within seven days of consumption, according to the health authorities there would be no reason to be alarmed. As always in these cases, the product should not be consumed and must be returned to the point of sale.
