Alternaria toxins, such as alternariol and tenuazonic acid, are made by moulds of the Alternaria genus. Mould toxins of all kinds are natural toxins that enter food when crops are infected before or after harvest.
30 notifications since 1 January 2020 named Alternaria toxins, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 5 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 15 in the 365 days before, down 67%. 10% were border rejections and 13% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were Türkiye (8), Argentina (4) and Belgium (2). The product categories named most often were nuts, nut products and seeds (15), fruit and vegetables (5) and other and mixed food products (4). The products named most often were hazelnuts (5), sunflower seeds (5) and sesame seeds (4).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Chemical contaminants, EFSA; Mycotoxins, EFSA.
Counts start on 1 January 2020 and run to 8 November 2026, the day the list was last read. A notification that names two countries of origin counts for each. Findings come from our word list matched against the EU subject line, which is never shown; 96% of all notifications match it, the rest count as other finding. Each reference links to the official record on RASFF Window. How this works.
Latest notifications that named Alternaria toxins
The newest 25 of 30, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Border rejection notified by Spain: Alternaria toxins in sunflower seeds from Argentina, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7320, validated 18 August 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Spain: Alternaria toxins in sunflower seeds from Argentina, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.4757, validated 29 May 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in hazelnuts from Türkiye, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.3686, validated 28 April 2026.
- Information for attention notified by France: Alternaria toxins in sunflower seeds from Argentina, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.2455, validated 23 March 2026.
- Information for attention notified by France: Alternaria toxins in sunflower seeds from Argentina, risk decision serious, reference 2025.9013, validated 17 November 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in sesame seeds from Bolivia, risk decision not serious, reference 2025.7919, validated 15 October 2025.
- Alert notified by France: Alternaria toxins in a cereal or bakery product from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.6202, validated 14 August 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in sesame seeds from Pakistan, risk decision not serious, reference 2025.4659, validated 23 June 2025.
- Border rejection notified by Spain: Alternaria toxins in hazelnuts from Türkiye, risk decision serious, reference 2025.4137, validated 3 June 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in hazelnuts from Türkiye, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.3890, validated 23 May 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in hazelnuts from Türkiye, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.3886, validated 23 May 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: Alternaria toxins in figs from Slovakia, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.3788, validated 21 May 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in herbs or spices from Spain, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.3296, validated 2 May 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in pistachios from the United States, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.1654, validated 7 March 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in hazelnuts from Türkiye, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.1460, validated 28 February 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in sesame seeds from Bolivia, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.1058, validated 14 February 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in sesame seeds from Mexico and the Netherlands, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.1073, validated 14 February 2025.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: Alternaria toxins in a mixed food product from Belgium, risk decision serious, reference 2025.0545, validated 27 January 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Lithuania: Alternaria toxins in sunflower seeds from Moldova, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.0314, validated 17 January 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: Alternaria toxins in a mixed food product from Belgium, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.9407, validated 3 January 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Austria: Alternaria toxins in a prepared dish or snack from Germany, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.7135, validated 26 September 2024.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: Alternaria toxins in paprika from Spain, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.6796, validated 20 September 2024.
- Information for follow up notified by Switzerland: Alternaria toxins in a mixed food product from Türkiye, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.3812, validated 15 May 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Switzerland: Alternaria toxins in paprika from Serbia, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.3807, validated 14 May 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Austria: Alternaria toxins in a cereal or bakery product from Germany, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.2099, validated 27 March 2024.
Other mould toxins: aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, ergot sclerotia or ergot alkaloids.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 16 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 4 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 3 | 10% |
| Alert | 3 | 10% |
| Information for follow up | 11 | 37% |
| Information for attention | 13 | 43% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 4 | 13% |
| Potentially serious | 4 | 13% |
| Potential risk | 16 | 53% |
| Not serious | 2 | 7% |
| Undecided | 4 | 13% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Hazelnuts | 5 |
| Sunflower seeds | 5 |
| Sesame seeds | 4 |
| Tomatoes | 3 |
| Figs | 2 |
| Paprika | 2 |
| Pistachios | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | 8 | 27% |
| Argentina | 4 | 13% |
| Belgium | 2 | 7% |
| Bolivia | 2 | 7% |
| Germany | 2 | 7% |
| Spain | 2 | 7% |
| Italy | 2 | 7% |
| China | 1 | 3% |
| Moldova | 1 | 3% |
| Mexico | 1 | 3% |
| Netherlands | 1 | 3% |
| Pakistan | 1 | 3% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuts, nut products and seeds | 15 | 50% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 5 | 17% |
| Other and mixed food products | 4 | 13% |
| Herbs and spices | 3 | 10% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 2 | 7% |
| Prepared dishes and snacks | 1 | 3% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 11 | 37% |
| Germany | 6 | 20% |
| Switzerland | 4 | 13% |
| Spain | 3 | 10% |
| France | 3 | 10% |
| Austria | 2 | 7% |
| Lithuania | 1 | 3% |
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