United Kingdom in RASFF, 2020–2025
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United Kingdom was the origin of 600 of 25,645 EU food notifications in 2020–2025 (2.3%), ranking 14th of 160 origins. 36% concerned dietetic foods, food supplements and fortified foods; the most-cited hazard class was pathogenic micro-organisms, and the most-cited substance lead.
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 | 123 | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2021 | 98 | 2.3% | 13 |
| 2022 | 62 | 1.6% | 17 |
| 2023 | 87 | 2.0% | 14 |
| 2024 | 123 | 2.5% | 13 |
| 2025 | 107 | 2.2% | 13 |
| 2020–2025 | 600 | 2.3% | 14 |
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. |
1 | 40 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 115 (19.2%) | — |
| Alert A serious risk in a product on the EU market, needing rapid action. |
76 | 17 | 13 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 161 (26.8%) | −79% |
| Information for attention A risk found, but the product is not on other members' markets, so they need not act rapidly. |
18 | 32 | 26 | 33 | 62 | 52 | 223 (37.2%) | +189% |
| Information for follow-up A risk in a product on, or possibly on, other members' markets; follow-up needed, not rapid action. |
28 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 24 | 20 | 101 (16.8%) | −29% |
By food category
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods border rejections → | 34 | 34 | 27 | 31 | 46 | 44 | 216 (36.0%) | +29% |
| Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) border rejections → Beef · Other · Pork · Prepared meat & sausage · Sheep & goat |
13 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 16 | 63 (10.5%) | +23% |
| Cereals and Bakery Products | 9 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 36 (6.0%) | — |
| Other Food Product / Mixed | 3 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 34 (5.7%) | — |
| Fish and Fish Products | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 28 (4.7%) | — |
| Prepared Dishes and Snacks border rejections → | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 23 (3.8%) | −79% |
| Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 23 (3.8%) | — |
| Poultry Meat and Poultry Meat Products border rejections → | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 22 (3.7%) | — |
| Fruits and Vegetables border rejections → Leafy & herbs · Other · Other vegetables |
4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 19 (3.2%) | — |
| Herbs and Spices border rejections → | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 19 (3.2%) | — |
| Milk and Milk Products | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 18 (3.0%) | — |
| Confectionery | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 16 (2.7%) | — |
| Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 16 (2.7%) | — |
| Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 (2.3%) | — |
| Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 13 (2.2%) | — |
| Food Additives and Flavourings | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 (1.7%) | — |
| Crustaceans and Products Thereof | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 (1.3%) | — |
| Bivalve Molluscs and Products Thereof | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 (1.2%) | — |
| Alcoholic Beverages | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 (0.8%) | — |
| Fats and Oils | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 (0.5%) | — |
| Ices and Desserts | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (0.5%) | — |
| Eggs and Egg Products | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.3%) | — |
| Cephalopods and Products Thereof | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.2%) | new |
| Honey and Royal Jelly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.2%) | 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 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 39 (6.5%) | — |
| Composition | 6 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 34 (5.7%) | — |
| Pesticide residues | 5 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 33 (5.5%) | — |
| Heavy metals | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 24 (4.0%) | — |
| Food additives and flavourings | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 16 (2.7%) | — |
| Novel food | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 14 (2.3%) | — |
| Biological contaminants | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 (2.2%) | — |
| Mycotoxins | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13 (2.2%) | — |
| Allergens | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 (1.7%) | — |
| Environmental pollutants | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 (1.7%) | — |
| Natural toxins (other) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 (1.3%) | — |
| Industrial contaminants | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 (1.0%) | — |
| Residues of veterinary medicinal products | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 (1.0%) | — |
| Not determined (other) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 (0.5%) | new |
| Gmo / novel food | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.3%) | — |
| Labelling absent/incomplete/incorrect | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (0.3%) | — |
| Non-pathogenic micro-organisms | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 (0.3%) | — |
| Genetically modified | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
| Organoleptic aspects | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
| Parasitic infestation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
| No hazard recorded | 81 | 61 | 44 | 52 | 71 | 60 | 369 (61.5%) | −26% |
By risk level
| Risk decision | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | 87 | 36 | 27 | 23 | 36 | 28 | 237 (39.5%) | −68% |
| Potentially serious | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 56 (9.3%) | — |
| Potential risk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 41 | 51 | 120 (20.0%) | — |
| Not serious | 9 | 18 | 9 | 18 | 26 | 7 | 87 (14.5%) | — |
| No risk | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 (1.0%) | — |
| Undecided | 25 | 42 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 94 (15.7%) | −100% |
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 Herbs and Spices · Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods |
2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | — |
| chlorpyrifos Herbs and Spices · Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | — |
| acetamiprid Herbs and Spices |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
| flonicamid Herbs and Spices · Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — |
| tricyclazole Herbs and Spices |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
| acephate Fruits and Vegetables |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| anthraquinone | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| bromide Fruits and Vegetables |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| buprofezin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| carbendazim Herbs and Spices |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
Other hazards
| Substance | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lead Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) · Poultry Meat and Poultry Meat Products · Herbs and Spices |
0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 18 | — |
| salmonella Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) · Poultry Meat and Poultry Meat Products · Herbs and Spices |
5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 13 | — |
| tetrahydrocannabinol (thc) Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods |
8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | — |
| escherichia coli shigatoxin-producing Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 9 | — |
| listeria monocytogenes Prepared Dishes and Snacks · Meat and Meat Products (Other Than Poultry) |
2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 | — |
| sildenafil Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods |
1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | — |
| aflatoxins Herbs and Spices |
4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | — |
| ochratoxin A Herbs and Spices |
1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | — |
| sulphites Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods · Herbs and Spices |
2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | — |
| tadalafil Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods |
0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | — |
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 August; Alerts peak in August; Information notifications peak in March.
By notification type
| Type | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border rejections | 5 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 10 | 7 | August |
| Alerts | 17 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 13 | August |
| Information notifications | 27 | 24 | 36 | 21 | 35 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 32 | 24 | March |
By hazard class
| Hazard class | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathogenic micro-organisms | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | March |
| Composition | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | September |
| Pesticide residues | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | December |
| Heavy metals | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | December |
| Food additives and flavourings | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | January |
Notifying member states
| Member state | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 4 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 29 | 13 | 75 | — |
| Spain | 4 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 64 | — |
| France | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 19 | 25 | 63 | — |
| United Kingdom | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | −100% |
| Poland | 2 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 45 | — |
| Ireland | 14 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 44 | −7% |
| Germany | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 38 | — |
| Denmark | 6 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 32 | — |
| Belgium | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 29 | — |
| Slovenia | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 29 | — |
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 "United Kingdom food safety record, 2020–2025: EU RASFF", fruit-risk.com, 2026-09-23, https://rasff.fruit-risk.com/reports/united-kingdom.html.
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