France Recalls a Sliced Spanish Cured Pork Loin Over Listeria monocytogenes and Notifies a Serious Alert to RASFF

On October 19, 2026, France published in RappelConso, the official product recall portal, the voluntary recall of a cured pork loin of Spanish origin, in 100-gram packs of 20 slices, due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The product, a supermarket chain's own brand, was sold throughout France. On October 21 the French authorities notified the case to the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) as an alert, with a risk classified as serious and Spain as the country of origin.

The recall affects batch 78103, with a use-by date of December 26, 2026, and the stated reason is a microbiological non-compliance. According to RASFF, the finding came from the company's own check: Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 25 grams of a sample taken on October 16, when the European criterion requires that it not be detected in that quantity. The measures were withdrawal of the product from recipients and its recall from consumers, and on October 28 the Spanish agency AESAN reported the outcome of its investigation. RappelConso asks consumers not to eat the product and to return it to the point of sale for a refund; those who have eaten it and have fever, headache or muscle aches should see a doctor, and the incubation can last up to eight weeks.

Lomo embuchado is a whole cured pork loin whose salt and low moisture slow the growth of many bacteria, but Listeria monocytogenes tolerates salt and cold and can survive in the product. In cured meat products, the critical point is usually slicing and packing: slicers, belts and refrigerated rooms can harbor the bacterium for months and transmit it to successive batches. A sliced, refrigerated product, with a use-by date more than two months after the recall, is eaten without cooking, so any contamination reaches the consumer directly. That is why the notice emphasizes pregnant women, immunocompromised people and older people, in whom listeriosis can cause severe forms.

For manufacturers and exporters of sliced cured meats, the case shows how a positive own check turns within a few days into a national recall and a European alert. Environmental monitoring of slicing rooms and testing of the finished product before dispatch are the main defenses. TAAG's Ampliora 3.5 kit detects Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria spp. by real-time PCR and its validated matrices include cold cuts, cured meats and surfaces, so it matches the microorganism and the matrix of this recall. A positive result is presumptive and must be confirmed with the reference method.