India — Herbs and Spices
India received 149 RASFF border-rejection notifications in Herbs and Spices between 2024-Q1 and 2026-Q4. Volume peaked at 23 in 2024-Q3, with the trend falling year-on-year. The most-cited issues are chlorpyrifos, clothianidin, and carbendazim. The list below gives the 20 most recent rejections by date and RASFF reference, with the country that notified it and the hazard found; 12 carry the laboratory result and 16 say what happened to the consignment.
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Key figures
If you import herbs and spices from India
- Chance a consignment is opened at the EU border
- 50% of consignments get identity and physical checks for aflatoxins and pesticide residues (Reg. (EU) 2019/1793).
- If it is rejected
- Held, final fate not recorded 36%; re-dispatched or destroyed 27%; destroyed 22%; re-dispatched 15%; not stated 1%. 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 (34), France (20), Latvia (20), of 159 border rejections in the last 3 years.
- Riskiest months
- March, June, October, by rejections since 2020.
- Test for before shipping
- chlorpyrifos (70), thiamethoxam (53), clothianidin (49), acetamiprid (47), carbendazim (40).
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 | 22 |
| 2024-Q2 | 21 |
| 2024-Q3 | 23 |
| 2024-Q4 | 8 |
| 2025-Q1 | 7 |
| 2025-Q2 | 18 |
| 2025-Q3 | 13 |
| 2025-Q4 | 9 |
| 2026-Q1 | 6 |
| 2026-Q2 | 10 |
| 2026-Q3 | 5 |
| 2026-Q4 | 7 |
Recent rejections
- 2026.9408 Aflatoxins in chili crushed from India Notified by Bulgaria. Aflatoxin B1
- 2026.9169 Unauthorised Pesticide residues and Pesticides exceeding MRL in Chilli Powder imported from India Notified by Malta. Destroyed. Result 0.18 ± 0.04 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). carbendazimchlorfenapyrchlorpyrifosclothianidin+14 more
- 2026.9165 Unauthorised presticides on Kondattam Mulaku (cured chillies) imported from India Notified by Malta. Destroyed. Result 0.01 ± 0.002 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). clothianidinethionfipronilprofenofos+1 more
- 2026.9160 Incorrect official certificate(s) and Absence of analytical protocol(s) for Cardamoms whole and Cardamoms husk from India Notified by Latvia. Re-dispatched or destroyed.
- 2026.9024 Absence of official controls and CHED-D for dried ginger from India Notified by Croatia. Re-dispatched.
- 2026.8766 Unauthorised novel food betel nut in pan masala from India Notified by Ireland. Destroyed.
- 2026.8681 Dried fenugreek leaves in spice mix from India // Hojas secas de fenogreco en mezclas de especias de India Notified by Spain. Re-dispatched or destroyed.
- 2026.8422 Multiple Pesticide residues in Kabsa Masala imported from India Notified by Malta. Destroyed. Result 0.075 ± 0.015 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). acetamipridcarbendazimchlorprophamchlorpyrifos+8 more
- 2026.8385 Clorpirifós en mezcla de especias de India // Chlorpyrifos in spice mix from India Notified by Spain. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 0,05 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifos
- 2026.7709 Multiple pesticide residues in cumin from India Notified by France. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 0.18±0.09 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). Azoxystrobinacetamipridcarbendazimchlorpyrifos+7 more
- 2026.6623 Cuminseed Whole India Pesticide Residue Notified by Netherlands. Destroyed. Result 0.18 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). Azoxystrobinacetamipridcarbendazimchlorpyrifos+7 more
- 2026.6178 pałeczki Salmonelli oraz Tiametoksam w papryce chilli mielonej z Indii // Salmonella and thiamethoxam in ground chilli pepper from India Notified by Poland. Destroyed. Salmonellathiamethoxam
- 2026.5772 Black pepper powder India Ethyleenoxide Notified by Netherlands. Destroyed. Result 0.56 (limit 0.1 mg/kg - ppm). ethylene oxide
- 2026.5644 Residuos de plaguicidas en semillas de cardamomo procedentes de la India//Pesticide residues in cardamom seeds from India Notified by Spain. Destroyed. Result 0.14 (limit 0.05 mg/kg - ppm). Imidaclopridebifenthrinchlorpyrifosfipronil+3 more
- 2026.5478 Residuos de plaguicidas en semillas de comino procedentes de la India//Pesticide residues in cumin seeds from India Notified by Spain. Destroyed. Result 0.65 (limit 0.05 mg/kg - ppm). Azoxystrobinacetamipridcarbendazimclothianidin+7 more
- 2026.5297 Chlorpyrifos in Coriander (powder) from India Notified by Cyprus. Result 0.14±0.07 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifos
- 2026.4393 Foglie di fieno greco in miscela di spezie aromatiche dall'India/ novel food not authorised fenugreek leaves in a blend of aromatic spices from India Notified by Italy.
- 2026.4322 Chlorpyrifos and 14 other pesticides in cumin powder Notified by Sweden. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 0,59 (limit 0,05 mg/kg - ppm). Azoxystrobinacetamipridcarbendazimchlorpyrifos+11 more
- 2026.4210 Kasturi Methi leaves from India Notified by Estonia. Destroyed.
- 2026.3173 Ethylene oxide in hot red chilli powder Notified by Netherlands. Result 0.97 (limit 0.1 mg/kg - ppm). ethylene oxide
Found on the EU market: alerts and information notifications
Besides border rejections, 169 notifications since 2020 concerned herbs and spices from India found after entering the EU — 98 alerts, 71 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 60%, company's own check 31%, at the EU border 5%, monitoring or surveillance sample 2%, other 1%, consumer complaint or illness 1%. 70 led to a recall from consumers.
Show the numbers
| Year | Total | Alerts | Information notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 2021 | 48 | 30 | 18 |
| 2022 | 23 | 15 | 8 |
| 2023 | 18 | 15 | 3 |
| 2024 | 32 | 16 | 16 |
| 2025 | 24 | 14 | 10 |
| 2026 to date | 17 | 4 | 13 |
- 2026.9328 info: attentionExceedance of aflatoxin in rice from India Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, reached the market. Result 6.7 (limit 2.0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.8949 info: follow-upchlorpyrifos, hexaconazole, fluxapyroxad and imidacloprid in ground coriander from India Notified by European Commission. Other. Result 0.56 (limit 0.1 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifosfluxapyroxadhexaconazoleimidacloprid
- 2026.7772 info: attentionChlorpyrifos in fennel powder from India Notified by Switzerland. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0.15 (limit 0.05 mg/kg - ppm). acetamipridchlorpyrifosiprobenfosprofenofos+1 more
- 2026.7087 info: follow-upUnauthorized substance thiamethoxam in fenugreek from India via Italy Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0,84 mg/kg (limit 0,010 mg/kg null). chlorpyrifosthiamethoxamtricyclazole
- 2026.7068 info: follow-upUnauthorised substance chlorpyrifos in ground black pepper from India, via Spain////Sustancia no autorizada clorpirifós en pimienta negra molida procedente de la India, vía España Notified by Czechia. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0,041 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifos
- 2026.6933 alertPesticide residues in cumin from India Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market, destroyed. Result 0,91 ± 0,46. Azoxystrobinacetamipridcarbendazimchlorpyrifos+12 more
- 2026.6813 info: attentionUnauthorised pesticide chlorpyrifos in Brahmi Powder from India Notified by Switzerland. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0.06 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifos
- 2026.6388 info: follow-upUnauthorised pesticide chlorpyrifos in turmeric powder from India Notified by Austria. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0,039 ± 0,020 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifos
- 2026.6039 info: attentionpesticides in ground ginger Notified by France. Company's own check. Result 0.030 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifosmetolcarb
- 2026.5092 info: attentionChlorpyrifos in fresh dill from India Notified by Belgium. Company's own check, reached the market. Result 0,027 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifos
Data and downloads
Download all 440 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 2026-10-22. To get new ones for India by email, watch India.
India country report since 2020 — all notification types, not just border rejections →