Salmonella is named in more EU food and feed notifications than any other hazard: 5,140 since 2020, 16% of all. Next come aflatoxins (2,922), chlorpyrifos (1,586) and ethylene oxide (1,235). Grouped, bacteria, viruses and parasites lead, ahead of pesticide residues and mould toxins.
What is the full ranking?
| Finding | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Salmonella | 5,140 | 16% |
| aflatoxins | 2,922 | 9% |
| chlorpyrifos | 1,586 | 5% |
| ethylene oxide | 1,235 | 4% |
| foreign bodies | 1,196 | 4% |
| pesticide residues | 1,161 | 4% |
| Listeria monocytogenes | 1,074 | 3% |
| missing or incorrect health certificates and documents | 946 | 3% |
| migration from a food contact material | 942 | 3% |
| unauthorised novel food | 892 | 3% |
| ochratoxin A | 805 | 2% |
| labelling faults | 619 | 2% |
A notification can name more than one finding, so the shares add up to more than 100%. 4% of notifications matched none of the words on our list and count as other finding.
How do the groups compare?
| Group | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Bacteria, viruses and parasites | 8,158 |
| Pesticide residues | 6,723 |
| Mould toxins | 3,828 |
| Unauthorised substances and novel food | 2,394 |
| Documents, controls and labelling | 2,334 |
| Foreign bodies, pests and spoilage | 1,935 |
| Additives and colours | 1,598 |
| Undeclared allergens | 1,493 |
| Heavy metals | 1,422 |
| Natural plant and marine toxins | 1,221 |
| Food contact materials | 1,125 |
| Process and environmental contaminants | 954 |
| Veterinary medicine residues | 338 |
And in the last year?
| Finding | Last 365 days | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Salmonella | 909 | 5,140 |
| aflatoxins | 450 | 2,922 |
| ochratoxin A | 302 | 805 |
| foreign bodies | 243 | 1,196 |
| pesticide residues | 243 | 1,161 |
| Listeria monocytogenes | 189 | 1,074 |
| missing or incorrect health certificates and documents | 178 | 946 |
| chlorpyrifos | 177 | 1,586 |
| unauthorised novel food | 171 | 892 |
| labelling faults | 155 | 619 |
The top of the list changes little: two of the three findings named most often since 2020 are also in the top three for the last year. Single substances move faster, as the rises and falls below show.
What is rising?
Among findings with at least 30 notifications in the previous year, the biggest rises from the 365 days before to the 365 days to 8 November 2026 were vitamins, minerals or other nutrients above safe levels (69, from 35), medicinal substances (sildenafil, tadalafil and others) (104, from 62), spoilage or decomposition (77, from 46) and ochratoxin A (302, from 185). The biggest falls were undeclared gluten (22, from 57), lead (27, from 64) and pyrrolizidine alkaloids (34, from 69).
Why does Salmonella lead?
Salmonella is reported across many foods: the categories named most often in Salmonella notifications were poultry meat (2,480), feed materials (610), nuts, nut products and seeds (573) and herbs and spices (420). 66% of them named an EU member state as an origin. EFSA describes salmonellosis as the second most common disease passed from animals to people in the EU, and Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 sets food safety criteria for it.
Does a common hazard mean a common risk?
Not directly. The count depends on how often a hazard is tested for, and where: a product and origin on a list of extra border checks is sampled more, so its hazards are found more. The share rated serious also differs: 59% of notifications naming bacteria, viruses or parasites carried a serious risk decision, against 49% of those naming pesticide residues.
What leads for the largest origins?
- Türkiye: aflatoxins (653), chlorpyrifos (477) and ochratoxin A (432)
- Poland: Salmonella (1,538), Listeria monocytogenes (100) and foreign bodies (67)
- India: ethylene oxide (666), chlorpyrifos (204) and aflatoxins (188)
- China: migration from a food contact material (571), bamboo or other plant fibre in plastic (215) and missing or incorrect health certificates and documents (106)
- the Netherlands: Salmonella (346), foreign bodies (142) and cannabidiol (CBD) (121)
- France: Listeria monocytogenes (255), ethylene oxide (196) and Salmonella (178)
The mix differs by origin mostly because each origin sends different products to the EU, and each product has its own typical hazards; the origin pages show both side by side.
Where do I see one hazard?
Every finding with at least 20 notifications has a page with a plain explainer, its sources, counts by year, origins, products and the latest 25 notifications. Start from the list of hazards.
Sources
- Salmonella, EFSA, checked 18 October 2026
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria, Annex I, checked 18 October 2026
- RASFF Window, European Commission: numbers computed from the list read on 8 November 2026
Last checked 18 October 2026. Numbers on this page are recomputed each time the data is read, last on 8 November 2026.