Portugal in RASFF, 2020–2025
Portugal was the origin of 125 of 25,645 EU food notifications in 2020–2025 (0.5%), ranking 39th of 160 origins. 23.2% concerned bivalve molluscs and products thereof; the most-cited hazard class was heavy metals, and the most-cited substance mercury.
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 | 15 | 0.4% | 34 |
| 2021 | 21 | 0.5% | 35 |
| 2022 | 23 | 0.6% | 34 |
| 2023 | 18 | 0.4% | 42 |
| 2024 | 27 | 0.6% | 34 |
| 2025 | 21 | 0.4% | 49 |
| 2020–2025 | 125 | 0.5% | 39 |
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 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 (1.6%) | — |
| Alert A serious risk in a product on the EU market, needing rapid action. |
11 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 74 (59.2%) | +9% |
| Information for attention A risk found, but the product is not on other members' markets, so they need not act rapidly. |
2 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 28 (22.4%) | — |
| Information for follow-up A risk in a product on, or possibly on, other members' markets; follow-up needed, not rapid action. |
2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 21 (16.8%) | — |
How problems were found
| Found by | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official control on the market | 7 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 60 (48.0%) | — |
| Company's own check | 6 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 43 (34.4%) | — |
| Consumer complaint or illness | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 (8.0%) | — |
| Other | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 (4.0%) | — |
| Monitoring or surveillance sample | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 (4.0%) | — |
| At the EU border | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 (1.6%) | — |
Did it reach the EU market?
Of the notifications whose record says either way, 97.3% 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 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 100.0% |
| 2021 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 100.0% |
| 2022 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 100.0% |
| 2023 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 100.0% |
| 2024 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 96.0% |
| 2025 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 89.5% |
Distributed to
| Country | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 4 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 44 | — |
| Portugal | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 31 | — |
| France | 2 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 29 | — |
| Belgium | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 28 | — |
| Italy | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 21 | — |
| Germany | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 18 | — |
| Luxembourg | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 16 | — |
| Netherlands | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 16 | — |
| Switzerland | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13 | — |
| Denmark | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Withdrawn from the market | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 50 (40.0%) | — |
| Authorities or operators informed | 3 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 43 (34.4%) | — |
| Not stated | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 24 (19.2%) | — |
| Recalled from consumers | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 17 (13.6%) | — |
| Detained or held under seal | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 (10.4%) | — |
| Destroyed | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 (8.8%) | — |
| Re-dispatched | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 (6.4%) | — |
| Re-dispatched or destroyed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.8%) | new |
Consumer recalls by year
| Year | Recalls | Share of notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 8 | 38.1% |
| 2022 | 1 | 4.3% |
| 2023 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 4 | 14.8% |
| 2025 | 4 | 19.0% |
By food category
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bivalve Molluscs and Products Thereof | 4 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 29 (23.2%) | — |
| Fish and Fish Products | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 26 (20.8%) | — |
| Fruits and Vegetables | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 (9.6%) | — |
| Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 (8.0%) | — |
| Cereals and Bakery Products | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 (6.4%) | — |
| Milk and Milk Products | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 (6.4%) | — |
| Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 (4.0%) | — |
| Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 (3.2%) | — |
| Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (3.2%) | — |
| Herbs and Spices | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 (2.4%) | — |
| Poultry Meat and Poultry Meat Products | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 (2.4%) | — |
| Confectionery | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1.6%) | — |
| Prepared Dishes and Snacks | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.6%) | — |
| Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (1.6%) | — |
| Alcoholic Beverages | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Cephalopods and Products Thereof | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Fats and Oils | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Food Additives and Flavourings | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Food Contact Materials | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.8%) | new |
| Wine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.8%) | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy metals | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 27 (21.6%) | — |
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 20 (16.0%) | — |
| Natural toxins (other) | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 14 (11.2%) | — |
| Pesticide residues | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 (8.8%) | — |
| Mycotoxins | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 (4.0%) | — |
| Allergens | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 (3.2%) | — |
| Composition | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 (3.2%) | — |
| Biological contaminants | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.6%) | — |
| Environmental pollutants | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (1.6%) | — |
| Food additives and flavourings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 (1.6%) | — |
| Foreign bodies | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Industrial contaminants | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Non-pathogenic micro-organisms | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Not determined (other) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| Residues of veterinary medicinal products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.8%) | — |
| No hazard recorded | 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 31 (24.8%) | — |
By risk level
| Risk decision | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | 12 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 19 | 12 | 86 (68.8%) | +0% |
| Potentially serious | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 14 (11.2%) | — |
| Potential risk | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 (6.4%) | — |
| Not serious | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 (4.8%) | — |
| Undecided | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 (8.8%) | — |
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 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
| chlorpyrifos | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| oxamyl | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| acetamiprid | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| dimethomorph | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| formetanate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
Other hazards
| Substance | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mercury | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 21 | — |
| diarrhoeic shellfish poisoning (dsp) toxins okadaic acid | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | — |
| escherichia coli | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — |
| norovirus | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | — |
| diarrhoeic shellfish poisoning (dsp) toxins | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — |
| salmonella | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | — |
| cadmium | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | — |
| listeria monocytogenes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — |
| fumonisins | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| histamine | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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 March; Alerts peak in December; Information notifications peak in August.
By notification type
| Type | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border rejections | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | March |
| Alerts | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 13 | December |
| Information notifications | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 8 | August |
By hazard class
| Hazard class | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy metals | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | February |
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | May |
| Natural toxins (other) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | October |
| Pesticide residues | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | December |
| Mycotoxins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | December |
Notifying member states
| Member state | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 4 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 33 | — |
| Italy | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 24 | — |
| Portugal | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 16 | — |
| France | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | — |
| Netherlands | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | — |
| Belgium | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — |
| Switzerland | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | — |
| Luxembourg | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | — |
| Germany | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| Czechia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
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 "Portugal food safety record, 2020–2025: EU RASFF", RASFF Trends, 2026-10-14, https://rasff.fruit-risk.com/reports/portugal.html.