Japan — All Categories
Japan received 17 RASFF border-rejection notifications across all food categories between 2023-Q4 and 2026-Q3. Volume peaked at 5 in 2026-Q3, with the trend rising sharply year-on-year. The most-cited issues are dinotefuran, tebuconazole, and tolfenpyrad. The list below gives each of these 20 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
- What happened to rejected consignments, last 3 years
- Re-dispatched: 35%; Destroyed: 24%; Held, final fate not recorded: 24%; Re-dispatched or destroyed: 12%; Not stated: 6%. Source: RASFF Window notification records.
Quarterly rejections, last 12 quarters
Show the numbers
| Quarter | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2023-Q4 | 2 |
| 2024-Q1 | 0 |
| 2024-Q2 | 0 |
| 2024-Q3 | 1 |
| 2024-Q4 | 0 |
| 2025-Q1 | 0 |
| 2025-Q2 | 1 |
| 2025-Q3 | 3 |
| 2025-Q4 | 2 |
| 2026-Q1 | 2 |
| 2026-Q2 | 1 |
| 2026-Q3 | 5 |
By year
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2020 | 3 |
By category, last 156 weeks
| Category | Rejections | Per $1B EU imports | Most-cited hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbs and Spices | 6 | — | tebuconazole |
| Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea | 2 | — | dinotefuran |
| Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods | 2 | — | — |
| Confectionery | 2 | — | — |
| Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 1 | — | — |
| Fish and Fish Products | 1 | — | mercury |
| Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 1 | — | thiacloprid |
| Food Contact Materials | 1 | — | — |
| Fats and Oils | 1 | — | phoxim |
Recent rejections
- 2026.8640 Residues of dinotefuran in teas from JapanCocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea. Notified by Poland. Destroyed. Result 0,19±0,10 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). dinotefuran
- 2026.7410 Pesticides residues in Japanese green tea Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea. Notified by Italy. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 0.07+/-0.035 (limit 0.01 mg/kg - ppm). dinotefuran
- 2026.6947 Unauthorised novel food ingredient (Perilla frutescens) and unauthorized use of succinic acid (E363) in marinated plums from JapanSoups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments. Notified by Poland. Re-dispatched or destroyed.
- 2026.6898 Mecurio y cadmio en pescado procedente de Japón //Mercury and cadmium in fish from JapanFish and Fish Products. Notified by Spain. Result 0,140 ± 0,022 (limit 0,050 mg/kg - ppm). cadmiummercury
- 2026.5911 Thiametoxam (0,17±0.09 mg/kg) in green tea from Japan //// zielona herbata sproszkowana MatchaHerbs and Spices. Notified by Poland. Destroyed. Result 0,17±0.09 (limit 0,05 mg/kg - ppm). thiamethoxam
- 2026.4957 Przekroczenie pozostałości pestycydów w zielonej herbacie z Japonii // Excessive pesticide residues in green tea from JapanHerbs and Spices. Notified by Poland. Re-dispatched. Result 0,067±0,034 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). acetamipridbenomil/carbendazimclothianidindinotefuran+3 more
- 2026.2258 Pesticides in matcha tea from JapanHerbs and Spices. Notified by Poland. Destroyed. Result 0,19±0,10 (limit 0,05 mg/kg - ppm). difenoconazoledinotefuranflonicamidtebuconazole+1 more
- 2026.1673 Pesticides in Matcha concentrate from JapanNon-Alcoholic Beverages. Notified by Croatia. Re-dispatched. Result 0,035. difenoconazolefludioxoniltebuconazolethiacloprid
- 2025.9815 Lack of documentation to support the Declaration of Conformity for food contact materials from JapanFood Contact Materials. Notified by Italy. Re-dispatched.
- 2025.8733 Absence of Veterinary certificate for food supplement from JapanDietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods. Notified by Latvia. Destroyed.
- 2025.5725 Przekroczenie pozostałości pestycydów zielona herbata MATCHA // Exceeding pesticide residues in green tea from JapanHerbs and Spices. Notified by Poland. Re-dispatched. Result 0,27±,014 (limit 0,05 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifosdinotefuranfenbuconazoletebuconazole+1 more
- 2025.5718 Przekroczenie pozostałości pestycydów w zielonej herbacie z Japonii // Exceeding pesticide residues in green tea from JapanHerbs and Spices. Notified by Poland. Re-dispatched. Result 0,23±0,12 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). dinotefuranfenbuconazolelufenuron
- 2025.5521 Przekroczenie pozostąłości pestycydów zielona herbata liściasta Sencha (Kakegawa)/// Exceeding pesticide residues in green leaf teaHerbs and Spices. Notified by Poland. Re-dispatched. Result 0,36 ± 0,18 (limit 0,05 mg/kg - ppm). tebuconazole
- 2025.3033 Unauthorised food additive titanium dioxide in food supplement from JapanDietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods. Notified by Slovenia.
- 2024.5285 Phoxim in sesame seed oil from JapanFats and Oils. Notified by Italy. Result 0,19 (limit 0,02 mg/kg - ppm). phoxim
- 2023.7844 composite products without mandatory documents and with labels only in Asian languages from JapanConfectionery. Notified by Italy.
- 2023.7725 prodotti composti dal Giappone privi dei certificati obbligatori e con erichetta in lingua asiatica /products made from Japan without mandatory certificates and with labeling in Asian languages Confectionery. Notified by Italy.
- 2023.4596 Composite products (sauces) from Japan without official health certificateSoups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments. Notified by Portugal. Destroyed.
- 2023.4578 Composite products (Non-alcoholic Beverages) from the United KingdomNon-Alcoholic Beverages. Notified by Portugal. Destroyed.
- 2023.1161 Unauthorised novel food Zanthoxylum piperitum from JapanHerbs and Spices. Notified by Spain.
Found on the EU market: alerts and information notifications
Besides border rejections, 34 notifications since 2020 concerned products from Japan found after entering the EU — 8 alerts, 26 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 38%, at the EU border 35%, company's own check 18%, consumer complaint or illness 9%. 8 led to a recall from consumers.
Show the numbers
| Year | Total | Alerts | Information notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| 2026 to date | 7 | 2 | 5 |
- 2026.6998 info: follow-upFlunicamid, Tebuconazole, and unauthorized substance lufenuron in organic matcha powder from Japan Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0,15 (limit 0,05 mg/kg - ppm). flonicamidlufenurontebuconazole
- 2026.6283 alertClostridium in Tonburi jar from Japan Notified by Netherlands. Company's own check, reached the market, destroyed. Result 1.3 e 8 (limit 1.0 e 5 CFU/g). Clostridium
- 2026.4196 info: follow-upMigration of cobalt from soup bowl from Japan, via the Netherlands Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0,579 and 0,997. cobalt
- 2026.3609 info: follow-upConsignment furikake vegetable and instant miso soup from Japan passed the BCP Rotterdam without the neccessary veterinary controls Notified by Netherlands. At the EU border, reached the market.
- 2026.2921 info: attentionUnsatisfactory specific chromium migration in fixed blade knives from Japan Notified by Italy. At the EU border, reached the market. Result 0,3. chromium
- 2026.1732 info: follow-upIncomplete import procedures for green tea powder from Japan Notified by Lithuania. Official control on the market, reached the market.
- 2026.1424 alertRisk of suffocation from consuming jelly candy from Japan, via the Netherlands Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market, destroyed. Result suffocation risk consumption. suffocation risk consumption
- 2025.9479 info: attentionHigh levels of pesticide residues in tea Notified by France. Company's own check, reached the market. Result 0,028 ± 0,014 (limit 0,02 mg/kg - ppm). anthraquinone
- 2025.6461 info: attentionnowa żywność - L alpha-GPC w suplemencie diety pochodzącym z Japonii/// novel food - L alpha-GPC in a food supplement from Japan Notified by Poland. Official control on the market, reached the market.
- 2025.5961 info: follow-upUnauthorised use of colour (E164) in lemonade from Japan Notified by Belgium. Consumer complaint or illness, reached the market.
Recent weeks
| Week | Border rejections |
|---|---|
| 2026-W43 | 0 |
| 2026-W42 | 0 |
| 2026-W41 | 0 |
| 2026-W40 | 1 |
| 2026-W39 | 0 |
| 2026-W38 | 0 |
| 2026-W37 | 0 |
| 2026-W36 | 0 |
→ See all RASFF notifications for 2026-W43
Data and downloads
Download all 61 entries (CSV) — every notification behind this page, border rejections and those found on the market, with how each was found and what was done. Every entry is also listed by year above.
The file holds entries up to 2026-09-30. To get new ones for Japan by email, watch Japan.