(AGENPARL) – Tue 08 April 2025 Screenshot (124).png
 Read the news also in:
 Machine-translated versions are also available in all EU languages on the EFSA website.
While there is no definitive evidence that these bacteria spread to humans through food, identical strains have been found in both animals and humans, suggesting possible transmission between them. CPE are bacteria that produce enzymes (carbapenemases) that inactivate carbapenem antibiotics.
These antibiotics are used to treat serious infections in humans. Resistance to these drugs poses a significant public health risk, potentially leaving few effective treatment options.
Key findings
· CPE have been detected in the food chain in 14 of the 30 EU/EFTA countries since 2011.
· The most frequently reported CPE are E. coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Salmonella, primarily originating from terrestrial food-producing animals (pigs, cattle, and to a lesser extent poultry, which are the animal species routinely monitored for antimicrobial resistance in the EU).
· The number of reported CPE cases has risen, particularly in pigs, cattle and poultry, with significant increases in 2021 and 2023 in a number of Member States.
· Ten of 30 EU/EFTA countries have established contingency plans for the control and investigation of these bacteria.
Main recommendations
To prevent or minimise the occurrence and spread of CPE, EFSA recommends:
· Expanding monitoring activities to other food sources currently not monitored (such as seafood products and vegetables), as well as to additional bacterial species (such as Klebsiella);
· Improving detection methods, conducting trace-back investigations and bacterial molecular typing to clarify transmission routes, including potential spread via workers and feed;
· Focusing research on the design of targeted studies to gain a better understanding of how these bacteria spread in the food chain.
Next steps
EFSA will support Member States and EFTA countries in further investigating and generating new data on the occurrence and spread of CPE, considering the variability in genes present across different countries and animal species. An updated opinion will be published in 2027 reflecting the latest findings.
EFSA’s ongoing efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance reflect its commitment to protecting public health in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape. A coordinated One Health approach—integrating human, animal, and environmental health—is essential to effectively monitor and mitigate the spread of carbapenemase-producing bacteria in the food chain.
Links to science
————————————————————
Should you wash fruit even if you don’t eat the peel? Would you dare eat cricket-based hamburgers? Do you trust the food you eat? 
Keen to find out more about the science behind safe food? Then welcome to ‘Science on the menu’, a podcast produced by the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA. We are a European agency located in Parma, Italy, that assesses and communicates on food risks. Each episode will tell you more about the work done to ensure that food across the European Union is safe. Come join us at our table for Science on the menu.
For inquiries please contact:
EFSA Press
+39 0521 036 149
______________________
European Food Safety Authority, Via Carlo Magno 1/a, Parma, . 43126 Italy