Pakistan in RASFF, 2020–2025
← All origin reports Pakistan: border rejections, last 3 years →
Pakistan was the origin of 385 of 25,645 EU food notifications in 2020–2025 (1.5%), ranking 16th of 160 origins. 71.7% concerned cereals and bakery products; the most-cited hazard class was pesticide residues, and the most-cited substance aflatoxins.
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 | 22 | 0.6% | 28 |
| 2021 | 29 | 0.7% | 29 |
| 2022 | 66 | 1.7% | 16 |
| 2023 | 77 | 1.8% | 16 |
| 2024 | 120 | 2.5% | 14 |
| 2025 | 71 | 1.5% | 17 |
| 2020–2025 | 385 | 1.5% | 16 |
Year links open that year's border rejections, entry by entry.
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 border rejections → Stopped at the EU's external border; the consignment was not let in. |
15 | 19 | 55 | 56 | 89 | 37 | 271 (70.4%) | +147% |
| Alert A serious risk in a product on the EU market, needing rapid action. |
2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 38 (9.9%) | — |
| Information for attention A risk found, but the product is not on other members' markets, so they need not act rapidly. |
4 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 51 (13.2%) | — |
| Information for follow-up A risk in a product on, or possibly on, other members' markets; follow-up needed, not rapid action. |
1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 25 (6.5%) | — |
How problems were found
Details available for 384 of 385 notifications.
| Found by | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At the EU border | 16 | 23 | 55 | 56 | 91 | 38 | 279 (72.7%) | +138% |
| Official control on the market | 4 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 57 (14.8%) | — |
| Company's own check | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 41 (10.7%) | — |
| Consumer complaint or illness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 (1.0%) | — |
| Monitoring or surveillance sample | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 (0.8%) | — |
Did it reach the EU market?
Of the notifications whose record says either way, 26.8% 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.
Details available for 384 of 385 notifications.
| Year | Reached the market | Stopped before | Not stated | Share reached |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 36.4% |
| 2021 | 7 | 15 | 7 | 31.8% |
| 2022 | 10 | 55 | 1 | 15.4% |
| 2023 | 21 | 56 | 0 | 27.3% |
| 2024 | 26 | 90 | 3 | 22.4% |
| 2025 | 26 | 37 | 8 | 41.3% |
Distributed to
| Country | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 46 | — |
| Netherlands | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 45 | — |
| France | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 28 | — |
| Denmark | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 26 | — |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 25 | — |
| Greece | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 24 | — |
| Italy | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 22 | — |
| Austria | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 20 | — |
| Spain | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 17 | — |
| Poland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 16 | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detained or held under seal | 9 | 9 | 46 | 39 | 60 | 20 | 183 (47.7%) | — |
| Authorities or operators informed | 3 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 19 | 17 | 66 (17.2%) | — |
| Withdrawn from the market | 3 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 50 (13.0%) | — |
| Re-dispatched | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 48 (12.5%) | — |
| Re-dispatched or destroyed | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 35 (9.1%) | — |
| Destroyed | 7 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 34 (8.9%) | — |
| Recalled from consumers | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 25 (6.5%) | — |
| Reinforced checks ordered | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 (5.2%) | — |
| Treated, relabelled or diverted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 17 (4.4%) | — |
| Not stated | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 (2.1%) | — |
Consumer recalls by year
| Year | Recalls | Share of notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | 13.6% |
| 2021 | 1 | 3.4% |
| 2022 | 4 | 6.1% |
| 2023 | 7 | 9.1% |
| 2024 | 7 | 5.9% |
| 2025 | 3 | 4.2% |
Rejections against import tonnes, by product
Border rejections over the last three years, measured against EU import tonnes of the same product from Pakistan. A count alone misleads, because lots differ in size between origins and products. The last column is the typical rejected lot, from the member states that record the whole lot.
| Product | Border rejections | 1 rejection per | Rank | Typical rejected lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 150 | 15,507 t | 3 of 3 | 25 t (48) |
Rank is among origins shipping the same product to the EU, highest rejection rate first. EU import quantities 2022–2024 (FAOSTAT). Lot weights come from RASFF border rejections since 2020, counted only where the notifying member state records whole lots rather than single packages; the figure in brackets is how many.
By food category
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cereals and Bakery Products border rejections → Other, Rice |
9 | 11 | 50 | 57 | 97 | 52 | 276 (71.7%) | — |
| Herbs and Spices border rejections → | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 35 (9.1%) | — |
| Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 24 (6.2%) | — |
| Other Food Product / Mixed | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 15 (3.9%) | — |
| Fruits and Vegetables | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 (3.4%) | — |
| Confectionery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 (1.0%) | — |
| Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (1.0%) | — |
| Food Additives and Flavourings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 (0.8%) | new |
| Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 (0.8%) | — |
| Milk and Milk Products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
| Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.3%) | new |
| Fish and Fish Products | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Ices and Desserts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.3%) | new |
| Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Prepared Dishes and Snacks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.3%) | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pesticide residues | 4 | 4 | 11 | 40 | 72 | 25 | 156 (40.5%) | — |
| Mycotoxins | 13 | 16 | 48 | 17 | 30 | 29 | 153 (39.7%) | +123% |
| Environmental pollutants | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 (3.1%) | — |
| Food additives and flavourings | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 (2.6%) | — |
| Biological contaminants | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 (1.8%) | — |
| Composition | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 (0.8%) | — |
| Industrial contaminants | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 (0.8%) | — |
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 (0.8%) | — |
| Chemical contamination (other) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
| Gmo / novel food | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
| Heavy metals | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
| Residues of veterinary medicinal products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
| Foreign bodies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.3%) | new |
| Genetically modified | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Labelling absent/incomplete/incorrect | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Natural toxins (other) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| No hazard recorded | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 33 (8.6%) | — |
By risk level
| Risk decision | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | 16 | 21 | 51 | 30 | 36 | 27 | 181 (47.0%) | +69% |
| Potentially serious | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 61 (15.8%) | — |
| Potential risk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 21 | 13 | 49 (12.7%) | — |
| Not serious | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 29 | 11 | 56 (14.5%) | — |
| No risk | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 15 (3.9%) | — |
| Undecided | 4 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 (6.0%) | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| acetamiprid Cereals and Bakery Products |
0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 32 | 9 | 53 | — |
| chlorpyrifos Cereals and Bakery Products, Herbs and Spices |
0 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 48 | — |
| imidacloprid Cereals and Bakery Products |
0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 25 | 4 | 39 | — |
| thiamethoxam Cereals and Bakery Products |
0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 2 | 32 | — |
| carbendazim Cereals and Bakery Products |
4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | — |
| ethylene oxide Herbs and Spices |
0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | — |
| imidaclopride Cereals and Bakery Products |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | — |
| tricyclazole Cereals and Bakery Products, Herbs and Spices |
1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | — |
| hexaconazole Cereals and Bakery Products, Herbs and Spices |
0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| triazophos Cereals and Bakery Products |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | — |
Other hazards
| Substance | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aflatoxins Cereals and Bakery Products, Herbs and Spices |
13 | 14 | 47 | 16 | 26 | 24 | 140 | +85% |
| ochratoxin A Cereals and Bakery Products, Herbs and Spices |
0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 16 | — |
| mineral oil Cereals and Bakery Products |
0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 11 | — |
| cyanide | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | — |
| E 210 - benzoic acid | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | — |
| salmonella | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| E 954 - saccharin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (moah) Cereals and Bakery Products |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | new |
| mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (mosh) Cereals and Bakery Products |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | new |
| rhodamine B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 May; Alerts peak in February; Information notifications peak in November.
By notification type
| Type | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border rejections | 20 | 18 | 32 | 18 | 36 | 22 | 29 | 22 | 13 | 21 | 23 | 17 | May |
| Alerts | 7 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | February |
| Information notifications | 4 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 1 | November |
By hazard class
| Hazard class | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pesticide residues | 17 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 12 | November |
| Mycotoxins | 10 | 11 | 30 | 11 | 28 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 3 | March |
| Environmental pollutants | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | August |
| Food additives and flavourings | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | February |
| Biological contaminants | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | January |
Notifying member states
| Member state | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 0 | 4 | 37 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 93 | — |
| Italy | 0 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 43 | — |
| France | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 26 | 8 | 39 | — |
| Germany | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 38 | — |
| Spain | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 6 | 29 | — |
| Greece | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 26 | — |
| Belgium | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 16 | — |
| Denmark | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 16 | — |
| Ireland | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 16 | — |
| Poland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | — |
Current EU check frequencies
Reg. (EU) 2019/1793 sets how often consignments of these products from Pakistan are opened at the EU border.
| Product | Hazard | Checks | Annex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ginger, turmeric and other spices | Aflatoxins | 30% | I |
| Rice | Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A | 10% | I |
| Rice | Pesticide residues | 10% | I |
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 "Pakistan food safety record, 2020–2025: EU RASFF", RASFF Trends, 2026-10-14, https://rasff.fruit-risk.com/reports/pakistan.html.