Anthraquinone is a pesticide substance. The EU sets a maximum residue level for each pesticide and crop, the highest residue legally tolerated when the pesticide is used correctly, and where no level is set the default is 0.01 mg/kg (Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, Article 18).
82 notifications since 1 January 2020 named anthraquinone, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 15 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 15 in the 365 days before, no change. 29% were border rejections and 34% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were China (19), Argentina (11) and Vietnam (7). The product categories named most often were cocoa, coffee and tea (41), herbs and spices (27) and other and mixed food products (4). The products named most often were tea (20), cardamom (7) and green tea (7).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Maximum residue levels, European Commission; Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on pesticide residues, Articles 3 and 18.
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 anthraquinone
The newest 25 of 82, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for follow up notified by France: anthraquinone in cardamom from Belgium, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.7925, validated 8 September 2026.
- Alert notified by Germany: anthraquinone in green tea from the United Kingdom, risk decision serious, reference 2026.7146, validated 12 August 2026.
- Alert notified by Germany: anthraquinone in cloves from Madagascar, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.6274, validated 14 July 2026.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: anthraquinone in nuts or seeds from China, risk decision serious, reference 2026.5575, validated 24 June 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Austria: anthraquinone in herbs or spices from Madagascar, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.4892, validated 3 June 2026.
- Alert notified by France: anthraquinone in tea from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.4887, validated 3 June 2026.
- Alert notified by France: anthraquinone in cardamom from Czechia, Guatemala and Hungary, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.4858, validated 2 June 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Spain: anthraquinone in cardamom from Guatemala, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4682, validated 28 May 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by the Netherlands: anthraquinone in a mixed food product from Syria, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.2315, validated 19 March 2026.
- Information for attention notified by France: anthraquinone in a mixed food product from Uruguay, risk decision serious, reference 2026.2091, validated 12 March 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Poland: anthraquinone in dried herbs from China, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.1988, validated 10 March 2026.
- Border rejection notified by France: anthraquinone and captan or folpet in tea from China, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.1238, validated 13 February 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by France: anthraquinone in tea from Germany, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.1201, validated 12 February 2026.
- Alert notified by Germany: anthraquinone and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in tea from Argentina, risk decision serious, reference 2026.0586, validated 23 January 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Poland: anthraquinone in tea from Sri Lanka, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.0317, validated 15 January 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Czechia: anthraquinone in cocoa, coffee or tea from Argentina, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.7552, validated 3 October 2025.
- Border rejection notified by France: anthraquinone in black tea from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.7223, validated 22 September 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: anthraquinone in tea from Syria, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.7212, validated 22 September 2025.
- Alert notified by France: anthraquinone in herbs or spices from Vietnam, risk decision serious, reference 2025.6526, validated 26 August 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Poland: anthraquinone in tea from Sri Lanka, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.5546, validated 22 July 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: anthraquinone in tea from Sri Lanka, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.5550, validated 22 July 2025.
- Alert notified by Germany: anthraquinone in herbs or spices from Argentina, risk decision serious, reference 2025.4556, validated 18 June 2025.
- Alert notified by Poland: anthraquinone in black tea from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.3588, validated 14 May 2025.
- Alert notified by Poland: anthraquinone in tea from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.3586, validated 14 May 2025.
- Alert notified by Italy: anthraquinone in tea from Germany and Italy, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.2598, validated 8 April 2025.
Other pesticide residues: chlorpyrifos, ethylene oxide, pesticide residues.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 15 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 24 | 29% |
| Alert | 30 | 37% |
| Information for follow up | 16 | 20% |
| Information for attention | 12 | 15% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 28 | 34% |
| Potentially serious | 22 | 27% |
| Potential risk | 8 | 10% |
| Not serious | 5 | 6% |
| Undecided | 18 | 22% |
| No risk | 1 | 1% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Tea | 20 |
| Cardamom | 7 |
| Green tea | 7 |
| Black tea | 5 |
| Black or white pepper | 3 |
| Anise | 2 |
| Plums | 2 |
| Sichuan pepper | 1 |
| Cloves | 1 |
| Dried herbs | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| China | 19 | 23% |
| Argentina | 11 | 13% |
| Vietnam | 7 | 9% |
| Sri Lanka | 6 | 7% |
| Germany | 4 | 5% |
| India | 4 | 5% |
| Belgium | 3 | 4% |
| France | 3 | 4% |
| Madagascar | 3 | 4% |
| Syria | 3 | 4% |
| Ukraine | 3 | 4% |
| Origin not given | 3 | 4% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa, coffee and tea | 41 | 50% |
| Herbs and spices | 27 | 33% |
| Other and mixed food products | 4 | 5% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 3 | 4% |
| Nuts, nut products and seeds | 3 | 4% |
| Feed materials | 2 | 2% |
| Non alcoholic beverages | 2 | 2% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| France | 17 | 21% |
| Germany | 16 | 20% |
| Poland | 15 | 18% |
| Netherlands | 10 | 12% |
| Spain | 8 | 10% |
| Finland | 6 | 7% |
| Belgium | 3 | 4% |
| Austria | 2 | 2% |
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