China — Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds
China received 38 RASFF border-rejection notifications in Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds between 2024-Q1 and 2026-Q4. Volume peaked at 7 in 2024-Q1, with the trend rising year-on-year. The most-cited issues are Aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin total, and tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP) unauthorised novel food ingredient. The list below gives the 20 most recent rejections by date and RASFF reference, with the country that notified it and the hazard found; 19 carry the laboratory result and 12 say what happened to the consignment.
Exporting from China? Get an email when shipments from China are flagged or rejected at the EU border — before your buyers ask.
One email a week, and only when something matches. We'll send a confirmation link first; unsubscribe any time from the footer of any email.
Key figures
If you import nuts, nut products and seeds from China
- Chance a consignment is opened at the EU border
- 10% of consignments get identity and physical checks for aflatoxins (Reg. (EU) 2019/1793).
- If it is rejected
- Held, final fate not recorded 53%; treated, sorted or diverted 18%; re-dispatched 13%; re-dispatched or destroyed 11%; destroyed 5%. A re-dispatched lot can be sold elsewhere, a treated or sorted one can be released once it complies, and a destroyed one is lost.
- Where rejections happen
- Netherlands (10), Spain (8), Italy (4), of 38 border rejections in the last 3 years.
- Riskiest months
- March, February, May, by rejections since 2020.
- Test for before shipping
- aflatoxins (31), animal ingredients (1), isoprocarb (1), pyraclostrobin (1), tetrahydrocannabiphorol (thcp) unauthorised novel food ingredient (1).
The EU does not publish how many consignments are shipped, so no page can state a true probability of rejection; these are the figures that are published.
Quarterly rejections, last 12 quarters
Show the numbers
| Quarter | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | 7 |
| 2024-Q2 | 2 |
| 2024-Q3 | 3 |
| 2024-Q4 | 4 |
| 2025-Q1 | 6 |
| 2025-Q2 | 2 |
| 2025-Q3 | 1 |
| 2025-Q4 | 1 |
| 2026-Q1 | 3 |
| 2026-Q2 | 2 |
| 2026-Q3 | 6 |
| 2026-Q4 | 1 |
By commodity, last 156 weeks
| Commodity | Rejections | 1 rejection per | Per $1B EU imports | Most-cited hazard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groundnut / Peanut | 31 | 5,018 t | 68.1 | Aflatoxin B1 |
| Other Nuts & Seeds | 4 | — | — | pyraclostrobin |
| Walnut | 2 | — | — | animal ingredients |
| Other | 1 | — | — | tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP) unauthorised novel food ingredient |
| Sunflower Seeds | 0 | — | — | — |
| Sesame | 0 | — | — | — |
| All products with import tonnes on record | 37 | 10,326 t |
"1 rejection per X t": tonnes of the same product imported for every one, over the same 156 weeks. A dash means fewer than 5 in the window, or under 1,000 t a year imported, too few to rate; the total row pools every product that has import tonnes on record.
Recent rejections
- 2026.9373 Exceeded amount of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) equivalent in organic hemp seeds from China Notified by Latvia. Treated, sorted or diverted. Result 4,95 ± 0,89 (limit 3 mg/kg - ppm). tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP) unauthorised novel food ingredient
- 2026.7571 Beta-lactoglobulin in coffee-flavored macadamia nuts - from China//beta lattoglobulina in noci di macadamia al gusto caffè -origine Cina Notified by Italy. Destroyed. Result presenza di latte origine Cina - beta lattoglobulina (limit non consentito null). animal ingredients
- 2026.7339 Aflatoxin B1 in Groundnut flours originating from China Notified by Belgium. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 4.8 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2026.7126 Aflatoxinas en cacahuetes con cáscara de China // Aflatoxins in unshelled peanuts from China Notified by Spain. Re-dispatched. Result 15.7+-24.3% (limit 4 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.6770 Aflatoxins in Chinese groundnut kernels Notified by Netherlands. Result 11 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.6765 Aflatoxins in Chinese peanuts Notified by Netherlands. Result 12 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.5947 Groundnuts China Aflatoxin Notified by Netherlands. Treated, sorted or diverted. Result 5.1 (limit 2.0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2026.4094 Aflatoxins in blanched groundnut kernels from China Notified by Greece. Result 5,0 ± 1,2 (limit 2,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.3777 Supera límites máximos Aflatoxina B1 y aflatoxinas totales en cacahuetes de China / higher than maximum level Aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxins in peanuts from China Notified by Spain. Result >20. Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.1341 Exceeding of MRL for Aflatoxin B1 and Total Aflatoxins in roasted and crushed peanuts from China /// Depasire LMA Aflatoxina B1 si Aflatoxine toatale in arahide prajite si maruntite, or. China Notified by Romania. Result 106,63 +/- 53,31 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.1172 Aflatoxins in Chinese inshell peanuts Notified by Netherlands. Result 20 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.0326 Mycotoxin presence in inshell peanut from China // Presencia de micotoxinas en cacahuetes sin cáscara de China Notified by Spain. Re-dispatched. Result 2.6+- 20.1% (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2025.8606 Aflatoxin in Chinese groundnuts Notified by Netherlands. Result 5.1 (limit 2,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2025.6809 Aflatoxin B1 and sum of aflatoxins above maximum level in peanuts from China Notified by Poland. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result Sample A: 4,84 +/- 1,02; Sample B: 5,49 +/- 1,15 (limit 2,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2025.4304 Aflatoxins in peanuts from China Notified by France. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 20±6 (limit 4,0 µg/kg - ppb). aflatoxin total
- 2025.3134 Aflatoxins in peanuts in shell from China Notified by Greece. Result 38,4+/-8,8 (limit 2,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2025.1810 Aflatoxine B1 in peanuts from China Notified by Poland. Treated, sorted or diverted. Result 3,65 +/-0,77 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2025.1703 Aflatoksyna B1 (4,11±0,86; 4,03±0,85 ) w orzechach ziemnych z Chin // Aflatoxin B1 (4.11±0.86; 4.03±0.85 ) in peanuts from China Notified by Poland. Treated, sorted or diverted. Result 4.11±0.86 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2025.1156 incorrect labelling (country of origin mismatch on label and phytosanitary certificate) on walnut kernels from China, dispatched from Uzbekistan Notified by Latvia. Re-dispatched.
- 2025.1146 Aflatoxins in peanuts from China Notified by Malta. Re-dispatched. Result 10.6± 4.2 (limit 2 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
Found on the EU market: alerts and information notifications
Besides border rejections, 29 notifications since 2020 concerned nuts, nut products and seeds from China found after entering the EU — 16 alerts, 13 information notifications. They are not part of the rejection figures or rates above, which measure border controls.
How they were found: company's own check 52%, official control on the market 41%, consumer complaint or illness 7%. 9 led to a recall from consumers.
Show the numbers
| Year | Total | Alerts | Information notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 2025 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 4 | 3 | 1 |
- 2026.6560 alertTropane alkaloids (sum) on Cumin seeds from China Notified by Netherlands. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 600. tropane alkaloids
- 2026.5575 alertanthraquinone in Pepper Powder from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, reached the market. Result 0,078 (limit 0,02 mg/kg - ppm). anthraquinone
- 2026.5192 info: attentionAflatoxin B1 in groundnut kernels from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, treated, sorted or diverted. Result 26 (limit 2.0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2026.0667 alertEthyleenoxide in Kurkuma-extract from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, reached the market. Result 0.18 (limit 0.1 mg/kg - ppm). ethylene oxide
- 2025.9239 info: follow-up przekroczenie NDP kadmu w orzechach pinii/// exceeding the MRL for cadmium in pine nuts Notified by Poland. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0,442 (limit 0,3 mg/kg dry matter). cadmium
- 2025.8981 alertCadmium in pinenut kernels from China Notified by Netherlands. Official control on the market, reached the market, re-dispatched. Result 0,78 (limit 0,30 mg/kg - ppm). cadmium
- 2025.7793 info: attentionAflatoxin in groundnutkernels from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, not on the market, treated, sorted or diverted. Result 30.0 (limit 2.0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2025.7487 alertBacillus cereus in Beancurd with Chilli from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, reached the market, destroyed. Result >150000 (limit 100.000 CFU/g). Bacillus cereus
- 2025.6418 info: attentioncadmium in peanut from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check. Result 0.23 ± 0.07 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). cadmiumchlormequat
- 2025.3714 info: follow-upUnauthorized levels of pyraclostrobin in pumpkin seeds from China Notified by Lithuania. Company's own check.
Data and downloads
Download all 101 entries (CSV) — every notification behind this page, border rejections and those found on the market, with how each was found and what was done.
The file holds entries up to 2026-10-21. To get new ones for China by email, watch China.
China country report since 2020 — all notification types, not just border rejections →