Pakistan — Herbs and Spices
Pakistan received 10 RASFF border-rejection notifications in Herbs and Spices between 2023-Q4 and 2026-Q3. Volume peaked at 4 in 2024-Q2, with the trend roughly flat year-on-year. The most-cited issues are Aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin total, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
Key figures
If you import herbs and spices from Pakistan
- Chance a consignment is opened at the EU border
- 30% of consignments get identity and physical checks for aflatoxins (Reg. (EU) 2019/1793).
- If it is rejected
- Held, final fate not recorded 60%; destroyed 20%; re-dispatched or destroyed 20%. 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
- France (3), Greece (2), Netherlands (2), of 10 border rejections in the last 3 years.
- Riskiest months
- May, March, August, by rejections since 2020.
- Test for before shipping
- aflatoxins (8), ochratoxin A (1), pyrrolizidine alkaloids (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.
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Quarterly rejections, last 12 quarters
Show the numbers
| Quarter | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2023-Q4 | 1 |
| 2024-Q1 | 1 |
| 2024-Q2 | 4 |
| 2024-Q3 | 0 |
| 2024-Q4 | 2 |
| 2025-Q1 | 0 |
| 2025-Q2 | 0 |
| 2025-Q3 | 0 |
| 2025-Q4 | 0 |
| 2026-Q1 | 1 |
| 2026-Q2 | 0 |
| 2026-Q3 | 1 |
Recent rejections
- 2026.7430 Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in cumin from Pakistan Notified by Belgium. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 1800 (limit 400 µg/kg - ppb). pyrrolizidine alkaloids
- 2026.0041 Aflatoxin B1 in chicken tikka masala from Pakistan Notified by Netherlands. Result 11 (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2024.9378 Aflatoxinas en especias de Pakistán/ Aflatoxin in spices from Pakistán Notified by Spain. Result (1) 12.6 (2) >24.0 (3) 17.4 (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2024.7954 Aflatoxins in spices from Pakistan Notified by Greece. Destroyed. Result 8,1+/-1,9 (limit 5,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2024.4195 Elevated aflatoxin B1 in Seasoning Mix Notified by Ireland. Result 7.4 ± 1.2* (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2024.3548 Aflatoxin B1 and total in dried spices from Pakistan Notified by France. Result 26±8 (limit 5,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2024.3544 Aflatoxin B1 in dried spices from Pakistan Notified by France. Result 12.9±3.9 (limit 5,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2024.3539 Aflatoxin B1 in dried spices from Pakistan Notified by France. Result 12.1±3.7 (limit 5,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2024.2160 Aflatoxin B1 in mix spices (paya masala) from Pakistan. Notified by Greece. Destroyed. Result 8,5 +/-2,0 (limit 5,0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2023.8185 Bombay Biryani ex Pakistan Ochratoxin A Notified by Netherlands. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 35 (limit 15 µg/kg - ppb). ochratoxin A
- 2023.3322 Ethylene oxide in peppers from Pakistan Notified by France. Re-dispatched. Result 0,36±0,18 (limit 0,1 mg/kg - ppm). ethylene oxide
- 2022.7566 Exceedance of maximum limits of aflatoxins in masala spice mix from Pakistan Notified by France. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result Aflatoxin B1 = 12.6±3.8 ; total Aflatoxins = 12.6±3.8 (limit Aflatoxin B1 = 5,0 - Total A… Aflatoxin B1
- 2022.5770 Unauthorised pesticide residues (tricyclazole and hexaconazole) in cumin seeds from Pakistan Notified by Greece. Re-dispatched or destroyed. Result 3.76± 1.88 (95%) (limit 0.05 mg/kg - ppm). hexaconazoletricyclazole
- 2022.5362 aflatoxin in Pakistan Chapli Kabab Notified by Netherlands. Result 17 (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2022.2713 Elevated Aflatoxin B1 and Total Aflatoxin in Seasoning Mixes from Pakistan Notified by Ireland. Result 10.8 ± 1.7 (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2022.1479 Aflatoxin B1 in bombay biryani masala from Pakistan Notified by Netherlands. Result 15 (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2022.0143 aflatoxines B1 in assorted spices mix from Pakistan Notified by Belgium. Re-dispatched. Result 10 (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2021.6146 Elevated Aflatoxin B1 in Spice Mix for Chapli Kebab Notified by Ireland. Destroyed. Result 7.9 ±1.3 (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1
- 2021.5798 Aflatoxin B1 in various spices Notified by Denmark. Destroyed. Result 8. Aflatoxin B1
- 2021.1082 Aflatoxins in spices (chicken masala) from Pakistan Notified by Greece. Destroyed. Result 19.1+/-4.4 (limit 5.0 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
Found on the EU market: alerts and information notifications
Besides border rejections, 10 notifications since 2020 concerned herbs and spices from Pakistan found after entering the EU — 4 alerts, 6 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 70%, at the EU border 20%, company's own check 10%. 3 led to a recall from consumers.
Show the numbers
| Year | Total | Alerts | Information notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- 2025.9007 info: follow-upUnauthorized novel food in black cumin seeds from Pakistan Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market.
- 2025.5798 info: attentionLead in Asant (devil's dung) with fenugreek from Pakistan Notified by Germany. Company's own check, reached the market. Result 176 (limit 1,50 mg/kg - ppm). lead
- 2024.8126 info: attentionElevated Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PZA) (514.5 ug/kg) in Black Cumin Whole Notified by Ireland. At the EU border, reached the market. Result 514.5 +/- 90.9 (limit 400 µg/kg - ppb). pyrrolizidine alkaloids
- 2024.7092 info: attentionUnauthorised substance ethylene oxide (sum of 2-chloroethanol and ethylene oxide, expressed as ethylene oxide) in spice mixture from Pakistan, via the United Kingdom Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 2,7 +/- 1,4. 2-chloroethanol
- 2024.0234 alertEthylene oxide in spice mixture from Pakistan Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 338 mg (limit 0,1 mg /kg). 2-chloroethanol
- 2023.4565 alertEthylene oxide in spice mixtures from Pakistan, via the United Kingdom Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 127 mg (limit 0,037 µg je Kilogramm Körpergewicht/Tag //unofficial translation: 0.037 µg … 2-chloroethanol
- 2023.4399 info: attentionUnauthorised substance ethylene oxide in seasoning mix from Pakistan Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 2,8 (limit 0,1 mg/kg - ppm). 2-chloroethanol
- 2023.4180 alertChlorpyrifos in fenugreek leaves from Pakistan, via the Netherlands Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 0,29 +/- 0,15 (limit 0,01 mg/kg - ppm). chlorpyrifos
- 2023.1737 alert2-Chloroethanol in seasoning mix from Pakistan, via the United Kingdom Notified by Germany. Official control on the market, reached the market. Result 197,8 ± 98,9. 2-chloroethanolethylene oxide
- 2020.1385 info: attentionElevated aflatoxins in seasoning mix Notified by Ireland. At the EU border, reached the market, destroyed. Result 14.6 ± 2.3 (limit 5 µg/kg - ppb). Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
Data and downloads
Download all 37 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 2026-08-21. To get new ones for Pakistan by email, watch Pakistan.
Pakistan country report since 2020 — all notification types, not just border rejections →