The study on the microbiological safety of raw-milk cheeses, presented by Sara Arnaboldi of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna (Izsler), was awarded the ‘Best Poster’ prize at the VTEC 2026 international conference.

The conference – according to a statement from the Institute – is the leading international event for research into Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) through an integrated ‘One Health’ approach encompassing human, animal and environmental health.
Arnaboldi’s research, resulting from a collaboration between Izsler, the University of Parma and the Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM) in the Netherlands, focuses on STEC bacteria which, when present in the bovine intestine, can contaminate unpasteurised milk and cause gastrointestinal infections or more serious complications in humans. “ “The study presented at the conference,” the statement continues, “reports the genomic characterisation of 70 STEC strains isolated from raw-milk cheeses in northern Italy between 2018 and 2025, reaffirming the need for rigorous monitoring throughout the supply chain and the importance of providing accurate information to consumers, particularly the most vulnerable sections of the population, thereby mitigating food-borne risks”.