South Africa in RASFF, 2020–2025
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South Africa was the origin of 69 of 25,645 EU food notifications in 2020–2025 (0.3%), ranking 55th of 160 origins. 53.6% concerned fruits and vegetables; the most-cited hazard class was pesticide residues, and the most-cited substance imazalil.
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 | 10 | 0.3% | 43 |
| 2021 | 12 | 0.3% | 49 |
| 2022 | 5 | 0.1% | 81 |
| 2023 | 11 | 0.3% | 61 |
| 2024 | 14 | 0.3% | 54 |
| 2025 | 17 | 0.3% | 52 |
| 2020–2025 | 69 | 0.3% | 55 |
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. |
2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 (18.8%) | — |
| Alert A serious risk in a product on the EU market, needing rapid action. |
5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 21 (30.4%) | — |
| Information for attention A risk found, but the product is not on other members' markets, so they need not act rapidly. |
3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 24 (34.8%) | — |
| Information for follow-up A risk in a product on, or possibly on, other members' markets; follow-up needed, not rapid action. |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 (15.9%) | — |
By food category
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruits and Vegetables | 5 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 37 (53.6%) | — |
| Fish and Fish Products border rejections → Other · Tuna |
1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 (11.6%) | — |
| Cereals and Bakery Products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 (4.3%) | — |
| Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 (4.3%) | — |
| Herbs and Spices | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 (4.3%) | — |
| Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (4.3%) | — |
| Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 (4.3%) | — |
| Alcoholic Beverages | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 (2.9%) | new |
| Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Other Food Product / Mixed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Fats and Oils | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.4%) | — |
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 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 28 (40.6%) | — |
| Mycotoxins | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 (8.7%) | — |
| Food additives and flavourings | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 (4.3%) | — |
| Allergens | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Composition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Heavy metals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Industrial contaminants | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Natural toxins (other) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Novel food | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (2.9%) | — |
| Environmental pollutants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (1.4%) | new |
| Non-pathogenic micro-organisms | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (1.4%) | — |
| Parasitic infestation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (1.4%) | — |
| No hazard recorded | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 16 (23.2%) | — |
By risk level
| Risk decision | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 28 (40.6%) | — |
| Potentially serious | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 (14.5%) | — |
| Potential risk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 (13.0%) | — |
| Not serious | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 (13.0%) | — |
| No risk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (1.4%) | — |
| Undecided | 2 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 (17.4%) | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| imazalil | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | — |
| ethephon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — |
| propiconazole | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| captan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| carbendazim | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| iprodione | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
| thiabendazole | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| azoxystrobin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| bromopropylate | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| buprofezin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | new |
Other hazards
| Substance | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aflatoxins | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | — |
| sulphites | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 3-monochlor-1,2-propanediol (3-mcpd) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| anisakis simplex parasitic infestation with Fish and Fish Products |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| benzalkonium chloride | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | new |
| benzo(a)pyrene | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | new |
| cetrimonium chloride | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| colour E 104 - quinoline yellow unauthorised use | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| colour E 110 - sunset yellow fcf too high content | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| colour E 110 - sunset yellow fcf unauthorised use | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
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 October; Alerts peak in January; Information notifications peak in February.
By notification type
| Type | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border rejections | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | October |
| Alerts | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | January |
| Information notifications | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | February |
By hazard class
| Hazard class | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pesticide residues | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | September |
| Mycotoxins | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | March |
| Food additives and flavourings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | April |
| Allergens | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | February |
| Composition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | August |
Notifying member states
| Member state | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 19 | — |
| Germany | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 9 | — |
| Spain | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | — |
| Poland | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — |
| France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | — |
| Denmark | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | — |
| Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — |
| Belgium | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
| Switzerland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 "South Africa food safety record, 2020–2025: EU RASFF", fruit-risk.com, 2026-09-23, https://rasff.fruit-risk.com/reports/south-africa.html.
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