Mycotoxins in EU Food Imports — RASFF Notifications
Mycotoxins appeared in 3,841 RASFF notifications between 2018 and 2026 — 15.6% of the 24,639 notifications that identify a hazard. The origins cited most often are Turkey, United States, Argentina. The most-affected product category is Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. Volume in 2025 was up 18% on 2024.
Key figures
- How Mycotoxins problems were found
- At the EU border 66%, company's own check 21%, official control on the market 12%, monitoring or surveillance sample 1%, other 0%, consumer complaint or illness 0%. Details available for 3,818 of 3,841.
- Reached the EU market
- 27% of the products whose record says either way; 240 were recalled from consumers.
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What makes up mycotoxins
Substances named in these notifications, each counted once per notification; one notification can name several, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
| Substance | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| aflatoxins | 2,999 | 78.1% |
| ochratoxin A | 825 | 21.5% |
| fumonisins | 31 | 0.8% |
| alternariol | 22 | 0.6% |
| tenuazonic acid | 22 | 0.6% |
| patulin | 21 | 0.5% |
| deoxynivalenol (don) | 19 | 0.5% |
| t-2 toxin | 14 | 0.4% |
| alternariol monomethyl ether (ame) | 9 | 0.2% |
| zearalenone | 8 | 0.2% |
| ergot sclerotia | 2 | 0.1% |
| citrinin | 1 | 0.0% |
| griseofulvin | 1 | 0.0% |
Mycotoxins notifications by year
| Year | Notifications | of which border rejections | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| 2019 | 22 | 14 | — | |
| 2020 | 428 | 322 | — | |
| 2021 | 452 | 339 | +5.6% | |
| 2022 | 500 | 363 | +10.6% | |
| 2023 | 427 | 255 | -14.6% | |
| 2024 | 660 | 424 | +54.6% | |
| 2025 | 782 | 405 | +18.5% | |
| 2026 | 569 | 332 | — | YTD |
| Total | 3,841 |
Origins most cited for Mycotoxins
| # | Origin country | Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey | 1,060 |
| 2 | United States | 511 |
| 3 | Argentina | 314 |
| 4 | India | 226 |
| 5 | Iran | 202 |
| 6 | Egypt | 193 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 160 |
| 8 | China | 95 |
| 9 | Georgia | 92 |
| 10 | Spain | 77 |
| 11 | Italy | 76 |
| 12 | Indonesia | 59 |
| 13 | France | 52 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 52 |
| 15 | Uzbekistan | 52 |
| 16 | Bolivia | 45 |
| 17 | Azerbaijan | 41 |
| 18 | Germany | 41 |
| 19 | Belgium | 36 |
| 20 | Brazil | 32 |
| 21 | Nicaragua | 28 |
| 22 | Nigeria | 25 |
| 23 | Paraguay | 25 |
| 24 | Serbia | 23 |
| 25 | Australia | 22 |
| 26 | Poland | 22 |
| 27 | United Arab Emirates | 17 |
| 28 | Sri Lanka | 16 |
| 29 | United Kingdom | 14 |
| 30 | Peru | 12 |
Product categories where Mycotoxins appears
| # | Product category | Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 1,999 |
| 2 | Fruits and Vegetables | 1,054 |
| 3 | Cereals and Bakery Products | 345 |
| 4 | Herbs and Spices | 205 |
| 5 | Feed Materials | 85 |
| 6 | Other Food Product / Mixed | 48 |
| 7 | Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea | 36 |
| 8 | Confectionery | 11 |
| 9 | Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 10 |
| 10 | Prepared Dishes and Snacks | 10 |
| 11 | Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 9 |
| 12 | Compound Feeds | 7 |
| 13 | Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods | 6 |
| 14 | Milk and Milk Products | 6 |
| 15 | Ices and Desserts | 3 |
Origins under EU increased official controls for Mycotoxins
Under Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 the EU checks these origin–product combinations at an increased, fixed frequency because of Mycotoxins findings:
| Origin | Products | Checks | Annex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivia | HS 1202, 1208, 2007, 2008, 2305 | 50% | II |
| Ghana | HS 1202, 1208, 2007, 2008, 2305 | 50% | I |
| India | HS 1202, 1208, 2007, 2008, 2305 | 50% | II |
| Iran | HS 0802, 0813, 1106, 2007, 2008 | 50% | II |
| Sri Lanka | HS 0904, 2005 | 50% | I |
| Turkey | HS 0802, 0813, 1106, 2007, 2008 | 50% | II |
| Egypt | HS 1202, 1208, 2007, 2008, 2305 | 30% | II |
| Ethiopia | HS 0904, 0910 | 30% | I |
| Indonesia | HS 0908 | 30% | II |
| Pakistan | HS 0910 | 30% | I |
| Turkey | HS 0804, 0813, 1106, 2007, 2008 | 30% | II |
| Argentina | HS 1202, 1208, 2007, 2008, 2305 | 20% | I |
| Azerbaijan | HS 0802, 0813, 1106, 1515, 2007, 2008 | 20% | I |
| Georgia | HS 0802, 0813, 1106, 1515, 2007, 2008 | 20% | I |
| United States | HS 1202, 1208, 2007, 2008, 2305 | 20% | I |
| China | HS 1202, 1208, 2007, 2008, 2305 | 10% | I |
| Pakistan | HS 1006 | 10% | I |
Recent Mycotoxins notifications
- 2026.9813 Ochratoxin A in organic dried figs from TurkeyFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9805 Ochratoxin A in dried figs from TürkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9799 OCRATOXIN A IN DRIED FIGS FROM TURKEYFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9762 Elevati livelli di ocratossina A in fichi secchi dalla Turchia//High Levels of Ochratoxin A in Dried Figs from TurkeyFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9759 aflatoksyny w orzechach ziemnych w łupinie z USA/// aflatoxins in peanuts in the shell from the USAFrom United States, Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched. Aflatoxin B1
- 2026.9786 Aflatoxins in U.S.A. peanutsFrom United States, Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. At the EU border, not on the market, treated, sorted or diverted. Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.9783 Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxins in dried figs from TürkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, destroyed. Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin totalochratoxin A
- 2026.9785 Aflatoxins in dried figs from TürkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, destroyed. Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin totalochratoxin A
- 2026.9688 Aflatoxins in Argentine peanutsFrom Argentina, Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. At the EU border, not on the market, treated, sorted or diverted. Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.9689 Aflatoxins in Argentine peanutsFrom Argentina, Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. At the EU border, not on the market. Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.9679 Ochratoxin A in Turkish fig pasteFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9666 Aflatoxins in groundnuts from ArgentinaFrom Argentina, Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. Company's own check, not on the market, treated, sorted or diverted. Aflatoxin B1aflatoxin total
- 2026.9685 Ochratoxin A in dried figs from TürkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9648 Aflatoxins in Argentine peanutsFrom Argentina, Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. At the EU border, not on the market, treated, sorted or diverted. Aflatoxin B1
- 2026.9653 Aflatoxins(som) in Argentine peanutsFrom Argentina, Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. At the EU border, not on the market, treated, sorted or diverted. aflatoxin total
- 2026.9647 Ochratoxin A in diced dried figs from TürkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9587 ochratoxin A in dried figs from TürkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9570 high level of ochratoxin A in dried figs originating from TürkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9554 Ocharatoxin A above legal limits in dried figs from TurkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, destroyed. ochratoxin A
- 2026.9549 elevato livello di ocratossina a in fichi secchi di origine Turchia/ high level of ochratoxin A in dried figs originating from TürkiyeFrom Turkey, Fruits and Vegetables. At the EU border, not on the market, re-dispatched or destroyed. ochratoxin A
About Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by moulds on crops in the field or in storage. RASFF groups them as one hazard category: aflatoxins account for most notifications, followed by ochratoxin A (dried fruit, spices, coffee and cereals), then fumonisins, patulin, deoxynivalenol and the Alternaria toxins. The EU sets maximum levels for each under Regulation (EU) 2023/915; this page counts every notification whose hazard falls in the mycotoxins category.
Which RASFF notifications does this page count?
All classifications: alert notifications, border rejection notifications and information notifications. A consignment rejected at the border and a product recalled from shelves are both evidence that the hazard reached EU food controls, so both count. The by-year table shows the border-rejection share separately.
What happens when this hazard is found in a consignment?
At the border, the consignment is refused entry and either re-dispatched, destroyed or downgraded to non-food use. On the internal market, the product is withdrawn or recalled and every member state that received it is notified through RASFF. Repeated findings against one origin can move that origin onto Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, which fixes an increased frequency of identity and physical checks at the border.
Where does this data come from?
The public RASFF Window operated by the European Commission, refetched daily. Counts are per notification, so one consignment listing several variants of the same hazard is counted once.