Key Points

In 2020, 1,010 outbreaks of foodborne illness were reported in France, affecting 6,814 people, of whom 396 (6%) sought medical care (hospitalization or emergency room visits) and 9 (0.13%) died. Compared to 2019, the number of reported foodborne illness outbreaks has decreased significantly (-43%), most likely due in part to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the social distancing measures implemented (lockdowns, closures of commercial and institutional food service establishments, remote work, etc.). The number of reported foodborne illnesses decreased by 61% for cases in workplace dining, by 49% for commercial dining, by 46% for school dining, by 35% for family meals, and by 26% for dining in medical-social institutions (IMS).

As in previous years, the most frequently microbiologically confirmed pathogen was Salmonella, accounting for 43% of foodborne illness cases (this proportion was 36% in 2019). The pathogens most commonly suspected based on epidemiological and clinical information, but not confirmed microbiologically, were the toxin-producing pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, and Bacillus cereus, accounting for 74% of foodborne illnesses for which a pathogen was suspected (69% in 2019). For 18% of reported foodborne illnesses, no pathogen could be identified or suspected based on epidemiological and clinical information (16% in 2019).