Sri Lanka in RASFF, 2020–2025
← All origin reports Sri Lanka: border rejections, last 3 years →
Sri Lanka was the origin of 176 of 25,645 EU food notifications in 2020–2025 (0.7%), ranking 30th of 160 origins. 31.8% concerned fruits and vegetables; the most-cited hazard class was pesticide residues, and the most-cited substance histamine.
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 | 30 | 0.7% | 27 |
| 2022 | 22 | 0.6% | 37 |
| 2023 | 30 | 0.7% | 29 |
| 2024 | 35 | 0.7% | 26 |
| 2025 | 38 | 0.8% | 29 |
| 2020–2025 | 176 | 0.7% | 30 |
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. |
8 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 84 (47.7%) | — |
| Alert A serious risk in a product on the EU market, needing rapid action. |
0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 15 (8.5%) | — |
| Information for attention A risk found, but the product is not on other members' markets, so they need not act rapidly. |
13 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 71 (40.3%) | −23% |
| Information for follow-up A risk in a product on, or possibly on, other members' markets; follow-up needed, not rapid action. |
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 (3.4%) | — |
How problems were found
| Found by | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At the EU border | 15 | 17 | 11 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 106 (60.2%) | +53% |
| Company's own check | 2 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 39 (22.2%) | — |
| Official control on the market | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 27 (15.3%) | — |
| Consumer complaint or illness | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.1%) | — |
| Monitoring or surveillance sample | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 (1.1%) | — |
Did it reach the EU market?
Of the notifications whose record says either way, 51.8% 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 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 65.0% |
| 2021 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 70.4% |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 50.0% |
| 2023 | 10 | 19 | 1 | 34.5% |
| 2024 | 19 | 16 | 0 | 54.3% |
| 2025 | 16 | 21 | 1 | 43.2% |
Distributed to
| Country | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 3 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 37 | — |
| Belgium | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 27 | — |
| Netherlands | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 22 | — |
| France | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 19 | — |
| United Kingdom | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 | — |
| Italy | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | — |
| Switzerland | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | — |
| Austria | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | — |
| Denmark | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 | — |
| Sweden | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destroyed | 4 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 53 (30.1%) | — |
| Authorities or operators informed | 7 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 53 (30.1%) | — |
| Withdrawn from the market | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 29 (16.5%) | — |
| Detained or held under seal | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 20 (11.4%) | — |
| Recalled from consumers | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 16 (9.1%) | — |
| Not stated | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 (8.5%) | — |
| Re-dispatched | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 (5.7%) | — |
| Re-dispatched or destroyed | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10 (5.7%) | — |
| Reinforced checks ordered | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 (3.4%) | — |
| Treated, relabelled or diverted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
Consumer recalls by year
| Year | Recalls | Share of notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | 9.5% |
| 2021 | 4 | 13.3% |
| 2022 | 1 | 4.5% |
| 2023 | 1 | 3.3% |
| 2024 | 5 | 14.3% |
| 2025 | 3 | 7.9% |
By food category
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruits and Vegetables border rejections → Other, Other vegetables |
7 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 9 | 14 | 56 (31.8%) | — |
| Fish and Fish Products | 4 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 47 (26.7%) | — |
| Herbs and Spices border rejections → | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 27 (15.3%) | — |
| Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea border rejections → | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 18 (10.2%) | — |
| Cereals and Bakery Products | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 (6.2%) | — |
| Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 (2.3%) | — |
| Fats and Oils | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 (2.3%) | — |
| Other Food Product / Mixed border rejections → | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 (1.7%) | — |
| Prepared Dishes and Snacks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 (1.7%) | — |
| Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.6%) | new |
| Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pesticide residues | 3 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 68 (38.6%) | — |
| Biological contaminants | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 28 (15.9%) | — |
| Mycotoxins | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 (8.0%) | — |
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 (6.8%) | — |
| Heavy metals | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 (6.2%) | — |
| Allergens | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 (1.7%) | — |
| Industrial contaminants | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 (1.7%) | — |
| Environmental pollutants | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1.1%) | — |
| Novel food | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 (1.1%) | new |
| Foreign bodies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.6%) | new |
| Non-pathogenic micro-organisms | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| Radiation | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | — |
| No hazard recorded | 1 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 30 (17.0%) | — |
By risk level
| Risk decision | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | 13 | 21 | 11 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 97 (55.1%) | +15% |
| Potentially serious | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 12 (6.8%) | — |
| Potential risk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 21 (11.9%) | — |
| Not serious | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 19 (10.8%) | — |
| No risk | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 (5.1%) | — |
| Undecided | 3 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 (10.2%) | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fipronil Fruits and Vegetables, Herbs and Spices |
0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | — |
| carbofuran Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | — |
| metalaxyl Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | — |
| profenofos Fruits and Vegetables, Herbs and Spices |
1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | — |
| chlorothalonil Fruits and Vegetables |
2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — |
| chlorpyrifos Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea, Herbs and Spices, Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | — |
| novaluron Fruits and Vegetables, Herbs and Spices |
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | — |
| acetamiprid Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea, Herbs and Spices, Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — |
| clothianidin Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
| lambda-cyhalothrin Fruits and Vegetables, Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea |
0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | — |
Other hazards
| Substance | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| histamine | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 28 | — |
| aflatoxins Herbs and Spices |
6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | — |
| mercury | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | — |
| salmonella Fruits and Vegetables, Herbs and Spices |
3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | — |
| escherichia coli Fruits and Vegetables, Herbs and Spices |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — |
| cadmium | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | — |
| sulphites Herbs and Spices, Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | — |
| glycidyl esters | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| novel food ingredient Herbs and Spices, Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | new |
| ochratoxin A Herbs and Spices |
1 | 0 | 1 | 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 February; Alerts peak in July; Information notifications peak in May.
By notification type
| Type | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border rejections | 5 | 14 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 10 | February |
| Alerts | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | July |
| Information notifications | 7 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 9 | May |
By hazard class
| Hazard class | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pesticide residues | 7 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | March |
| Biological contaminants | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | March |
| Mycotoxins | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | October |
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Heavy metals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | August |
Notifying member states
| Member state | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 35 | — |
| Germany | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 26 | — |
| Italy | 1 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 24 | — |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 22 | — |
| Switzerland | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 17 | — |
| Belgium | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | — |
| United Kingdom | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | — |
| Poland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 | — |
| Denmark | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | — |
| Finland | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | — |
Current EU check frequencies
Reg. (EU) 2019/1793 sets how often consignments of these products from Sri Lanka are opened at the EU border.
| Product | Hazard | Checks | Annex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leafy & Herbs | Pesticide residues | 50% | I |
| Medicinal plants | Pesticide residues | 50% | II |
| Other Vegetables | Pesticide residues | 50% | I |
| Pepper and capsicum spices | Aflatoxins | 50% | I |
| Prepared vegetables | Aflatoxins | 50% | 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 "Sri Lanka food safety record, 2020–2025: EU RASFF", RASFF Trends, 2026-10-14, https://rasff.fruit-risk.com/reports/sri-lanka.html.
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