China — Cereals and Bakery Products
China received 27 RASFF border-rejection notifications in Cereals and Bakery Products between 2023-Q4 and 2026-Q3. Volume peaked at 7 in 2026-Q3, with the trend roughly flat year-on-year. The most-cited issues are genetically modified, E 316 - sodium erythorbate, and E 621 - monosodium glutamate. The list below gives the 20 most recent rejections by date and RASFF reference, with the country that notified it and the hazard found; 11 carry the laboratory result and 14 say what happened to the consignment.
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Key figures
If you import cereals and bakery products from China
- Chance a consignment is opened at the EU border
- Not on the EU's increased-checks list, so only member states' routine, risk-based checks apply (rates not published).
- If it is rejected
- Re-dispatched or destroyed 37%; held, final fate not recorded 33%; re-dispatched 15%; destroyed 11%; not stated 4%. 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 (11), Italy (6), Poland (2), of 27 border rejections in the last 3 years.
- Riskiest months
- September, December, June, by rejections since 2020.
- Test for before shipping
- genetically modified (19), crustaceans (1), E 316 - sodium erythorbate (1), E 621 - monosodium glutamate (1), E 635 - disodium 5'-ribonucleotides too high content (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 |
|---|---|
| 2023-Q4 | 0 |
| 2024-Q1 | 2 |
| 2024-Q2 | 2 |
| 2024-Q3 | 5 |
| 2024-Q4 | 2 |
| 2025-Q1 | 0 |
| 2025-Q2 | 3 |
| 2025-Q3 | 4 |
| 2025-Q4 | 1 |
| 2026-Q1 | 1 |
| 2026-Q2 | 0 |
| 2026-Q3 | 7 |
By commodity, last 156 weeks
| Commodity | Rejections | 1 rejection per | Per $1B EU imports | Most-cited hazard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 23 | 9,980 t | 407.3 | genetically modified |
| Other | 3 | — | — | genetically modified |
| Wheat & Flour | 1 | — | — | E 635 - disodium 5'-ribonucleotides |
| Bakery & Biscuits | 0 | — | — | — |
| All products with import tonnes on record | 23 | 15,660 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
- 2026.8480 Non-authorized GMO events in rice cakes originating from China Notified by Belgium. Destroyed. Result detected (limit 0 null). genetically modified
- 2026.8461 Unauthorized GMO in spicy puffed rice cakes of Chinese origin // OGM non autorizzato in dischetti di riso soffiato piccante origine Cina Notified by Italy. Result Nel campione è stata riscontrata la presenza del Terminatore NOS (limit PRESENZA / ASSENZ… genetically modified
- 2026.8145 Incomplite documentation for rice consgnment fro China Notified by Slovenia. Destroyed.
- 2026.7912 unauthorized GMO 35 S terminator Nos in rice sticks Notified by Italy. genetically modified
- 2026.6984 presenza OGM (TERMINATORE NOS) non autorizzato in crackers di riso (rice hot crackers) dalla Cina///Presence of unauthorized GMOs (NOS terminator) in rice crackers (rice hot crackers) from China Notified by Italy. Re-dispatched. Result presenza//detected (limit Assenza//not detected null). genetically modified
- 2026.6214 Hydrolysed Rice Flour China GMO Notified by Netherlands. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result P35S and T NOS detected in 2 x 100 mg. genetically modified
- 2026.5938 Miso Paste China GMO Cry1Ab/Ac Notified by Netherlands. Re-dispatched or destroyed. genetically modified
- 2026.2061 Rice Noodles China cryIAb/Ac Notified by Netherlands. Destroyed. genetically modified
- 2025.9509 Additivo non autorizzato (Butilidrossitoluene -BHT- E 321) in panini congelati dalla Cina/Unauthorized additive (Butylhydroxytoluene -BHT- E 321) in frozen bread from China Notified by Italy. Re-dispatched or destroyed.
- 2025.7396 Detectado OGM prohibido en pasta de arroz de China//GMO detected in rice cake from China Notified by Spain. Result P 35-S (limit NO DETECTADO null). genetically modified
- 2025.6786 Importazione non autorizzata di biscotti con latte dalla Cina via Hong Kong///Unauthorised import of dairy biscuits from China via Hong Kong Notified by Italy.
- 2025.6431 Absence of original certificate in rice crackers from China Notified by Greece. Re-dispatched or destroyed.
- 2025.5332 obecność E316 izoaskorbinianu sodu – niedozwolonego do stosowania w Paskach Latiao – przekąsce z pszenicy o smaku słodko-pikantnym pochodzącej z Chin / the presence of E316 sodium isoascorbate - prohibited in sweet and savoury wheat-based snacks from China Notified by Poland. Re-dispatched. Result 22,3 (limit niedopuszczalny null). E 316 - sodium erythorbateE 621 - monosodium glutamateE 635 - disodium 5'-ribonucleotides
- 2025.4622 Unauthorized novel food ingredients perilla seeds in walnut cookies from China Notified by Latvia. Re-dispatched.
- 2025.4584 Genetically modified organism Cry1Ab/Ac detected in Chinese organic rice noodles Notified by Netherlands. Result Cry1Ab/Ac detected in 2x100mg (limit no presence /0.01g). genetically modified
- 2025.3490 MASSA ARROZ- OGM ARROZ Notified by Portugal. Reached the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. genetically modified
- 2024.9606 Unauthorised genetically modified white rice cakes from China Notified by Portugal. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result CaMV 35S P (Screening transgenic promoter) [cQL] positive; CaMV 35S T (Screening transgen… genetically modified
- 2024.8697 GMO China Rice noodle Notified by Netherlands. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result T-Nos detected (limit No presence mg null). genetically modified
- 2024.6746 Genetically modified organism Cry1Ab/Ac detected in miso from China Notified by Netherlands. Result Cry1Ab/Ac detected in 2x100mg (limit no presence mg). genetically modified
- 2024.6689 non approved GMO in rice noodles Notified by Slovenia. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result present (limit 0 %). genetically modified
Found on the EU market: alerts and information notifications
Besides border rejections, 25 notifications since 2020 concerned cereals and bakery products from China found after entering the EU — 13 alerts, 12 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 40%, official control on the market 32%, at the EU border 16%, consumer complaint or illness 8%, other 4%. 8 led to a recall from consumers.
Show the numbers
| Year | Total | Alerts | Information notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 5 | 2 | 3 |
- 2026.7579 alertUndeclared allergens milk & egg in a waffle, from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, reached the market, destroyed.
- 2026.7066 info: follow-upConsignment swiss roll from China skipped veterinary controls in Border Control Post Rotterdam Notified by Netherlands. At the EU border, reached the market.
- 2026.6880 info: attentionpresenza OGM non autorizzato in crackers di riso (rice hot crackers) dalla Cina/presence of unauthorized GMOs in rice crackers (rice hot crackers) from China Notified by Italy. At the EU border, reached the market. Result RILEVATA PRESENZA (limit PRESENZA/ASSENZA null). genetically modified
- 2026.6648 info: follow-upConsignment with different kinds of composite products passed the BCP Rotterdam without the neccessary veterinary controls Notified by Netherlands. At the EU border, reached the market.
- 2026.6070 alertAflatoxine B1 in sweet corn from China Notified by Belgium. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 10,4 (limit 2,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2025.6820 alertlead in dried pearl barley, from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, reached the market, destroyed. Result 1,1 (limit ≤ 0.20 mg/kg - ppm). lead
- 2025.6202 alertAlternaria toxin levels detected in sunflower seeds Notified by France. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result AOH : 230 ± 80 (limit 30 µg/kg - ppb). alternariolalternariol monomethyl ether (AME)tenuazonic acid
- 2025.5585 info: attentionPresencia de ingredientes alergénicos no declarados en el etiquetado (huevo y leche) de pasteles procedentes de China//Presence of undeclared allergenic ingredients (egg and milk) in cakes from China Notified by Spain. Official control on the market, reached the market.
- 2025.4868 alertIngredientes alergénicos no declarados (leche, soja y sulfitos), en galletas procedentes de China // Undeclared allergenic ingredients (milk, soya and sulphites), in biscuits from China Notified by Spain. Other, reached the market, treated, sorted or diverted.
- 2025.2094 info: follow-upAllergen cream not visually highlighted in the ingredients list Notified by Denmark. Official control on the market, reached the market.
Data and downloads
Download all 68 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 2026-09-24. To get new ones for China by email, watch China.
China country report since 2020 — all notification types, not just border rejections →