Ireland in RASFF, 2020–2025
Ireland was the origin of 172 of 25,645 EU food notifications in 2020–2025 (0.7%), ranking 31st of 160 origins. 20.3% concerned meat and meat products (other than poultry); the most-cited hazard class was pathogenic micro-organisms, and the most-cited substance listeria monocytogenes.
Food only (feed and food contact materials excluded), all notification types — border rejections, alerts and information notifications — validated 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025. Download every table (CSV).
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By year
| Year | Notifications | Share of EU total | Rank among origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 21 | 0.6% | 29 |
| 2021 | 16 | 0.4% | 39 |
| 2022 | 29 | 0.7% | 26 |
| 2023 | 25 | 0.6% | 34 |
| 2024 | 37 | 0.8% | 25 |
| 2025 | 44 | 0.9% | 28 |
| 2020–2025 | 172 | 0.7% | 31 |
Tables below show each year 2020–2025; cells are shaded against their row's own peak. Change compares 2025 with 2020 and is shown only where 2020 had at least 10 notifications ("new" where it had none). RASFF Window's data starts on 23 January 2020.
By notification type
| Type | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border rejection Stopped at the EU's external border; the consignment was not let in. |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| Alert A serious risk in a product on the EU market, needing rapid action. |
10 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 52 (30.2%) | −10% |
| Information for attention A risk found, but the product is not on other members' markets, so they need not act rapidly. |
3 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 20 | 27 | 83 (48.3%) | — |
| Information for follow-up A risk in a product on, or possibly on, other members' markets; follow-up needed, not rapid action. |
8 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 36 (20.9%) | — |
How problems were found
| Found by | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company's own check | 7 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 23 | 73 (42.4%) | — |
| Official control on the market | 10 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 16 | 71 (41.3%) | +60% |
| Consumer complaint or illness | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 18 (10.5%) | — |
| Monitoring or surveillance sample | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 (4.1%) | — |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| At the EU border | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
Did it reach the EU market?
Of the notifications whose record says either way, 71.8% concerned a product that had been placed on the market; the rest were stopped before it. RASFF records whether a product was on sale, not whether anyone bought it.
| Year | Reached the market | Stopped before | Not stated | Share reached |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| 2021 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 100.0% |
| 2022 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 51.9% |
| 2023 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 66.7% |
| 2024 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 78.1% |
| 2025 | 23 | 17 | 4 | 57.5% |
Distributed to
| Country | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) | 0 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 21 | 65 | — |
| Ireland | 6 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 54 | — |
| Netherlands | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 40 | — |
| France | 2 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 32 | — |
| United Kingdom | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 29 | — |
| Belgium | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 27 | — |
| Germany | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 21 | — |
| Spain | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 17 | — |
| Italy | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 16 | — |
| Denmark | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | — |
What was done
A notification can record several actions; each is counted once per notification, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
| Action | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorities or operators informed | 10 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 30 | 87 (50.6%) | +200% |
| Recalled from consumers | 11 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 23 | 67 (39.0%) | +109% |
| Withdrawn from the market | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 49 (28.5%) | — |
| Not stated | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 20 (11.6%) | — |
| Detained or held under seal | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 (6.4%) | — |
| Destroyed | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 (2.9%) | — |
| Re-dispatched | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 (2.9%) | — |
| Treated, relabelled or diverted | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| Re-dispatched or destroyed | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| Released to the market | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
Consumer recalls by year
| Year | Recalls | Share of notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11 | 52.4% |
| 2021 | 5 | 31.2% |
| 2022 | 12 | 41.4% |
| 2023 | 8 | 32.0% |
| 2024 | 8 | 21.6% |
| 2025 | 23 | 52.3% |
By food category
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 35 (20.3%) | — |
| Bivalve Molluscs and Products Thereof | 4 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 29 (16.9%) | — |
| Milk and Milk Products | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 17 (9.9%) | — |
| Poultry Meat and Poultry Meat Products | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 17 (9.9%) | — |
| Crustaceans and Products Thereof | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 (7.0%) | — |
| Prepared Dishes and Snacks | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 10 (5.8%) | — |
| Cereals and Bakery Products | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 (4.7%) | — |
| Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 (4.7%) | — |
| Fish and Fish Products | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 (4.1%) | — |
| Fruits and Vegetables | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 (4.1%) | — |
| Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 (2.3%) | — |
| Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 (1.7%) | — |
| Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 (1.7%) | — |
| Confectionery | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| Fats and Oils | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| Food Additives and Flavourings | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| Other Food Product / Mixed | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| Water for Human Consumption (Other) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| Alcoholic Beverages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| Herbs and Spices | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.6%) | new |
By hazard class
A notification citing hazards of two classes counts once in each, so rows can add up to more than the total.
| Hazard class | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 17 | 24 | 72 (41.9%) | — |
| Food additives and flavourings | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 (5.8%) | — |
| Residues of veterinary medicinal products | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 (2.9%) | — |
| Allergens | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 (2.3%) | — |
| Biological contaminants | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (2.3%) | — |
| Natural toxins (other) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 (2.3%) | — |
| Metals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 (1.7%) | — |
| Pesticide residues | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 (1.7%) | — |
| Composition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 (1.2%) | new |
| Environmental pollutants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| Non-pathogenic micro-organisms | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1.2%) | — |
| Chemical contamination (other) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| Faulty labelling or claims | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.6%) | new |
| Lacking or improper documentation or controls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.6%) | new |
| Microbial contaminants (other) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| Organoleptic aspects | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.6%) | new |
| No hazard recorded | 6 | 5 | 15 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 59 (34.3%) | — |
By risk level
| Risk decision | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | 12 | 12 | 21 | 16 | 12 | 24 | 97 (56.4%) | +100% |
| Potentially serious | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 11 | 26 (15.1%) | — |
| Potential risk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 15 (8.7%) | — |
| Not serious | 7 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 24 (14.0%) | — |
| No risk | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| Undecided | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 (5.2%) | — |
Most-cited substances
Labels RASFF records for one substance are merged (e.g. chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-ethyl); chemically distinct compounds stay apart.
Pesticide residues
| Substance | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ethylene oxide | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| chlorpyrifos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
Other hazards
| Substance | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| listeria monocytogenes | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 26 | — |
| salmonella | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 21 | — |
| norovirus | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 14 | — |
| sulphites | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | — |
| escherichia coli | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | — |
| escherichia coli shigatoxin-producing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | — |
| cadmium | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — |
| tetrahydrocannabinol (thc) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| azaspiracid shellfish poisoning (azp) toxins azaspiracid | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| closantel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — |
By month
Pooled across 2020–2025. Each row is shaded against its own peak, so its season shows whatever its size. Border rejections peak in November; Alerts peak in February; Information notifications peak in October.
By notification type
| Type | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border rejections | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | November |
| Alerts | 6 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | February |
| Information notifications | 11 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 11 | 7 | October |
By hazard class
| Hazard class | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 5 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 4 | March |
| Food additives and flavourings | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | January |
| Residues of veterinary medicinal products | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | August |
| Allergens | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | January |
| Biological contaminants | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | February |
Notifying member states
| Member state | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 7 | 6 | 26 | 15 | 16 | 27 | 97 | — |
| Netherlands | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 21 | — |
| Italy | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 | — |
| Belgium | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | — |
| France | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 9 | — |
| European Commission | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | — |
| Denmark | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | — |
| Finland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — |
| Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | — |
| Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
Method
Source: RASFF Window, the European Commission's public notification database; every food notification validated in 2020–2025.
A notification naming several origins counts once for each, so origin shares can add up to more than 100%.
Hazard classes are the ones RASFF attaches to each hazard. A hazard without a class is "unclassified"; a notification exported without any hazard is "no hazard recorded".
Counts describe what EU authorities found and reported. They depend on how often each product is checked, so they are not a rate of unsafe food.
Licence: CC-BY-4.0. Cite as "Ireland food safety record, 2020–2025: EU RASFF", RASFF Trends, 2026-11-08, https://rasff.fruit-risk.com/reports/ireland.html.
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