Weekly highlights at a glance (9-15 June 2025)
RASFF recorded 96 food safety notifications during Week 24 , down 25% from Week 23's 128 alerts. Despite fewer total alerts, serious risks remained high at 57.3% of notifications. Turkey led violations with 13 notifications, followed by India (12) and the United States (8).
Fresh produce and nuts tied for most recalls with 21 each, representing 43.8% of all notifications. Mycotoxin contamination dominated hazards, with aflatoxin B1 accounting for 17 notifications.
Fresh Produce: Critical Concerns
Fresh produce generated 21 alerts (21.9% of total), affecting products from 13 countries. Turkey dominated with 9 alerts, primarily dried fruits with ochratoxin A contamination.
Key Contamination Patterns:
- Mycotoxins: Turkish dried figs showed ochratoxin A levels up to 61.41 μg/kg - seven times EU limits
- Pesticides: Dimethoate violations in Turkish peaches and Indian bottle gourd
- Physical hazards: Glass fragments in Hungarian cherries; Listeria in French lettuce
Based on the Week 24 RASFF data, here are all the fruit, nut, and cereal recalls in the requested format:
Fruit and vegetable recalls in Europe
Grape (Chile): tebuconazole
Cherries (Hungary): fragments glass
Lettuce (France): Listeria monocytogenes
Mushroom (Hong Kong): unauthorized product
Peach (Türkiye): dimethoate
Apricot (Türkiye): ochratoxin A
Grape leaves (Türkiye): boscalid
Mushroom (China): unauthorized product
Jalapeno (Türkiye): tetramethrin unauthorised
Drumstick (India): tricyclazole unauthorised substance
Fig (Türkiye): Aflatoxin B1
Raisin (Uzbekistan): ochratoxin A
Fig (Türkiye): ochratoxin A
Grape leaves (Lebanon): Azoxystrobin
Dragon fruit (Thailand): iprodione
Yard-long beans (Sri Lanka): novaluron
Bottle gourd (India): dimethoate
Garlic (India): lead
Nuts and Seeds Recalls
Peanut (United States): Aflatoxin B1
Groundnut (United States): Aflatoxin B1
Groundnut (Argentina): Aflatoxin B1
Groundnut (India): Aflatoxin B1
Pistachio (United States): Aflatoxin B1
Pistachio (Türkiye): Aflatoxin B1
Pistachio (Jordan): Aflatoxin B1
Sesame seed (Sudan): unauthorized product
Flaxseed (Paraguay): cyanide high content
Linseed (Kazakhstan): cyanide high content
Pistachio (Jordan): Salmonella spp
Tahini (Türkiye): Salmonella
Cereal products recalls
Rice (India): thiamethoxam
Rice (India): ochratoxin A
Herbs and dpices recalls
Turmeric (India): Rhodamine B unauthorised colour
Pepper (France): foreign bodies
Ginger (Türkiye): Bacillus cereus
Paprika (China): Salmonella
Nutmeg (Indonesia): ochratoxin A
Dill (Uzbekistan): Escherichia coli shigatoxin-producing
Coriander (India): ethylene oxide
Top Product Categories
Fruits and vegetables tied with nuts/seeds at 21 alerts each, followed by herbs/spices and poultry (7 each).
Graph 1: Top 5 Product Categories with the Most RASFF Alerts (Week 24)
Geographic Risk Patterns
Turkey's 13 notifications concentrated in dried fruits with systematic mycotoxin issues. India contributed 12 alerts across diverse categories, including pesticide violations and heavy metal contamination1. The US generated 8 notifications, all aflatoxin-related in groundnuts and pistachios.
Graph 2: Top 5 Countries with the Most RASFF Alerts (Week 24)
Key Trends
Mycotoxin Seasonality: Early summer storage conditions favor fungal growth, contaminating susceptible products systematically. Turkish dried fruit exporters report confusion over rejected shipments that passed domestic testing.
Organic Product Issues: Five notifications involved organic products, challenging perceptions that organic certification guarantees lower contamination risks.
Risk Severity: Despite 25% fewer alerts, serious risk classifications remained elevated, indicating persistent high-stakes compliance challenges.
Buyer Recommendations
- Enhanced Testing: Implementation of mandatory pre-shipment mycotoxin screening for Turkish dried fruits during June-September storage periods
- Supplier Verification: Request of comprehensive pesticide logs and heavy metal screening for Indian suppliers
- Seasonal Protocols: Intensification of mycotoxin testing during late spring when storage conditions favor fungal proliferation
- Multi-residue Screening: Deployment of comprehensive panels covering unauthorized substances frequently detected in Asian and Mediterranean imports
