French authorities are investigating a Listeria outbreak linked to a cheese company in which two people have died.
In August, the public health unit of the parquet de Paris took over an investigation opened by the Guéret Public Prosecutor’s Office into the Chavegrand company and the outbreak.
The probe involves four agencies, such as the Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (DGCCRF).
It is looking at five areas including marketing of a product of animal origin that is harmful to health; obstruction of the duties of food safety officials; and failure to inform authorities of a health risk posed by food relating to findings from an internal inspection.
The alert was raised by the supermarket chain Carrefour during routine sampling on May 30 on a cheese produced on April 19 by Chavegrand, which tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes on June 9. A few days later, the cheese factory forwarded this result to authorities in Creuse, who requested further information to assess the withdrawal-recall procedure to be adopted.
Previous Listeria finding
On July 25, the General Directorate for Food (DGAL) informed of several cases of listeriosis, the genome of which was very similar to that found in the cheese. By Aug. 29, 22 cases had been reported and two people died. Patients come from all over France and range in age from 34 to 95.
Analysis reports provided by the company did not indicate any prior detection of Listeria. However, additional documentation revealed that Listeria had been identified during several surface samples taken in 2024. It is not known if these positives are related to the outbreak strain.
All batches produced before June 23, 2025 have been recalled. Listeria was detected in two other cheese tests conducted on Aug. 5. All samples were sent to the National Reference Center for sequencing and comparison with strains from infected individuals.
Pasteurized cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses were distributed to more than 20 countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Australia. Products were sold under different commercial brands. They can be identified by the health mark FR 23.117.001.
These findings and previous recalls show deaths and illnesses could have been prevented, said campaign group, foodwatch.
Camille Dorioz, campaigns director at foodwatch, said: “We welcome the seriousness with which this health scandal is being taken by the judicial authorities. Deaths and illnesses could have been avoided since we learned that Listeria had been detected in the company as early as 2024.”
Rising Listeriosis trend
Santé publique France recently released Listeria data covering 1999 to 2024.
Between 1999 and 2020, the annual total of Listeria infections ranged from 188 to 414. Since 2021, the number of cases has been increasing, with 619 in 2024.
Cases during pregnancy remained stable, with fewer than 50 each year over the last two decades. Incidence increases significantly with age. In 2024, the median age was 76 with a range of 2 to 99 years old and nearly 9 out of 10 had at least one pre-existing condition.
The upward trend is also seen in other countries, according to data reported by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Since the routine use of genomic sequencing and strain typing by cgMLST, nearly 700 listeriosis clusters have been identified and investigated by Santé publique France between 2015 and 2024. A source of contamination was identified for 116 of them. The majority were small, with a median of two cases per cluster. Sources include cheese and dairy products, deli meats, ready meals, deli meat environments, and smoked fish.
According to Santé publique France, the trend appears to be primarily linked to the aging population and the increase in age-related chronic diseases. For those most at risk – the elderly, immunocompromised, and pregnant women – the risk of developing listeriosis can be reduced by following good hygiene practices when preparing and handling food.
Such practices include regularly cleaning the fridge, storing raw and cooked or RTE foods separately, washing hands after handling uncooked food, cleaning countertops and utensils, and respecting use-by dates. Vulnerable groups are advised not to eat raw milk cheese, smoked and raw fish, raw shellfish, and raw or undercooked meats.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here)
Dining and Cooking