China — Confectionery
China received 11 RASFF border-rejection notifications in Confectionery between 2023-Q3 and 2026-Q2. Volume peaked at 3 in 2023-Q3, with the trend rising sharply year-on-year. The most-cited issues are E 200 - sorbic acid, E 950 - Acesulfame K, and colour E 123 - amaranth. The list below gives each of these 19 rejections by date and RASFF reference, with the country that notified it and the hazard found; 2 carry the laboratory result and 6 say what happened to the consignment.
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Key figures
If you import confectionery 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
- Held, final fate not recorded 75%; re-dispatched 25%. 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
- Ireland (5), Cyprus (1), Latvia (1), of 8 border rejections in the last 3 years.
- Riskiest months
- January, February, July, by rejections since 2020.
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-Q3 | 3 |
| 2023-Q4 | 1 |
| 2024-Q1 | 0 |
| 2024-Q2 | 0 |
| 2024-Q3 | 1 |
| 2024-Q4 | 0 |
| 2025-Q1 | 0 |
| 2025-Q2 | 0 |
| 2025-Q3 | 2 |
| 2025-Q4 | 1 |
| 2026-Q1 | 2 |
| 2026-Q2 | 1 |
Recent rejections
- 2026.4812 Prohibited food additives: E406, E407, E 440, unknown source of gelatin (beef bones or skin), and incorrect labelled mini jelly cup candies from China Notified by Latvia. Re-dispatched.
- 2026.1549 Unauthorised additive Titanium Dioxide (E171) declared on label as ingredient in the jelly confectionary Notified by Ireland.
- 2026.0460 Unauthorised titanium dioxide in confectionary from China Notified by Ireland.
- 2025.8021 Unauthorised titanium dioxide colour in confectionary product Notified by Ireland.
- 2025.6335 Unauthorised Titanium Dioxide colour in confectionary products Notified by Ireland. Re-dispatched.
- 2025.6170 Unauthorised Titanium Dioxide colour in Giant Gobstoppers Fruit Flavour Candy Notified by Ireland.
- 2024.5178 Unauthorized additive - colour E123 amaranth - in special sugar for cotton candy machine from China Notified by Cyprus.
- 2023.7916 Huevo procedente de un establecimiento no autorizado en productos de confitería de China. Egg from an unauthorised establishment in confectionery products from China. Notified by Spain.
- 2023.6581 UNAUTHORISED ADDITIVES IN VARIABLE FOOD PRODUCTS FROM CHINA Notified by Cyprus. E 200 - sorbic acidE 950 - Acesulfame Kcolour E 123 - amaranthcolour E 124 - Ponceau 4R / cochineal red A
- 2023.5186 Border rejection of a consignment of confectionery due to the presence of titanium dioxide Notified by Ireland.
- 2023.4663 unauthorized novel food (castanea mollissima) in chestnut jam and from China Notified by Italy.
- 2023.1577 Marmellate – Errata denominazione di vendita e condizioni d’uso degli additivi non conformi al Reg.1333/2008 “Marmellate” - Incorrect sales denomination and conditions of use of additives not compliant with Reg.1333/2008 Notified by Italy.
- 2023.1314 Unauthorised use of colour E 171 - titanium dioxide in candies from China Notified by Finland. colour E 171 - titanium dioxide
- 2023.0131 Unauthorized use of additives in confectionery from China Notified by Latvia.
- 2023.0130 Unauthorized use of additives in confectionery from China Notified by Latvia.
- 2022.6926 Unauthorized additive in sprinkles (E 127) Notified by Portugal. Re-dispatched or destroyed.
- 2022.2244 non-compliant, unauthorised colours in confectionary Notified by Slovenia. Destroyed. Result 100+/-20 (limit 35 mg/kg - ppm). colour E 110 - Sunset Yellow FCFcolour E 127 - erythrosine
- 2021.3603 Food additive E123 in candies from China Notified by Latvia. Destroyed.
- 2020.0627 exceeded annato (E160b) in soy crepe from China Notified by Poland. Re-dispatched. Result 90 (limit 10 mg/kg - ppm). colour E 160b - annato/bixin/norbixin
Found on the EU market: alerts and information notifications
Besides border rejections, 41 notifications since 2020 concerned confectionery from China found after entering the EU — 19 alerts, 22 information notifications. They are not part of the rejection figures or rates above, which measure border controls.
How they were found: official control on the market 61%, consumer complaint or illness 22%, company's own check 10%, at the EU border 7%. 15 led to a recall from consumers.
Show the numbers
| Year | Total | Alerts | Information notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 2024 | 15 | 8 | 7 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 8 | 1 | 7 |
- 2026.8545 info: follow-upMold in gummies from China Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, reached the market, re-dispatched.
- 2026.8261 info: attentionUnauthorised additive titanium dioxide in the confectionary products from the UK Notified by Ireland. Consumer complaint or illness, reached the market.
- 2026.8117 info: follow-upConsignment Biscuits from China skipped veterinary controls in Border Control Post Notified by Netherlands. At the EU border, reached the market.
- 2026.6294 info: follow-upUnauthorised food additive in candies supplied by Denmark Notified by Finland. Official control on the market, reached the market.
- 2026.6185 info: follow-upPresence of food additives E407, E410, E412 and E418 in Jelly Straws from China, via the Netherlands Notified by Austria. Official control on the market, reached the market, re-dispatched. E 407 - carrageenanE 410 - locust bean gumE 412 - guar gumE 415 - xanthan gum+1 more
- 2026.5655 info: follow-upConsignment cookie balls skipped veterinary controls in Border Control Post Notified by Netherlands. At the EU border, reached the market.
- 2026.5088 alertUnauthorized additive E 425 in jelly candy from China Notified by Sweden. Official control on the market, reached the market.
- 2026.1268 info: attentionUnauthorised additive titanium dioxide in the confectionary products from China via UK Notified by Ireland. Official control on the market, reached the market.
- 2025.9566 info: attentionHigh content of colour E110 (Sunset yellow) in candies from China Notified by Czechia. Official control on the market, reached the market, destroyed. Result 43,7 (limit 35 mg/kg - ppm). colour E 110 - Sunset Yellow FCF
- 2025.7136 info: follow-upExceeding the maximum combined level of colours (E102, E133, E129) in marshmallows from China /// Przekroczenie łącznego maks. poziomu barwników (E102,E133,E129) w piance Notified by Poland. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 287,9. colour E 102 - tartrazinecolour E 129 - Allura Red ACcolour E 133 - Brilliant Blue FCF
Data and downloads
Download all 60 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 2026-09-25. To get new ones for China by email, watch China.
China country report since 2020 — all notification types, not just border rejections →