Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can be present in food. Point 3.4 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets maximum levels for inorganic arsenic, starting with rice and rice products.
67 notifications since 1 January 2020 named arsenic, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 10 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 13 in the 365 days before, down 23%. 1% were border rejections and 52% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were China (14), Germany (7) and Spain (6). The product categories named most often were food contact materials (18), feed materials (9) and cereals and bakery products (7). The products named most often were plates and bowls (9), pots and pans (7) and food supplements (5).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Metals as contaminants in food, EFSA; Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on contaminants, consolidated text of 19 August 2026, Annex I.
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 arsenic
The newest 25 of 67, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Alert notified by Belgium: arsenic in food supplements from China and Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2026.8676, validated 30 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: lead, arsenic and aluminium in plates and bowls from Portugal, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.6556, validated 23 July 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: moulds, arsenic and plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe in a food supplement from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.5347, validated 17 June 2026.
- Alert notified by Austria: arsenic and migration from a food contact material in pots and pans from Canada, risk decision serious, reference 2026.5127, validated 10 June 2026.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: arsenic in a feed additive from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4668, validated 27 May 2026.
- Alert notified by Austria: arsenic and migration from a food contact material in pots and pans from the Netherlands, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4271, validated 15 May 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: cadmium and arsenic in a feed material from Germany, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.4197, validated 12 May 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Spain: arsenic in a cereal or bakery product from Türkiye, risk decision serious, reference 2026.1012, validated 6 February 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Slovenia: arsenic and migration from a food contact material in pots and pans from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.9232, validated 21 November 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Slovenia: arsenic and migration from a food contact material in pots and pans from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.9193, validated 20 November 2025.
- Alert notified by Italy: arsenic in rice from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2025.8564, validated 4 November 2025.
- Alert notified by Germany: lead and arsenic in food supplements from Ghana, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.8456, validated 30 October 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: arsenic in fish from the United Kingdom, risk decision serious, reference 2025.8010, validated 17 October 2025.
- Alert notified by Germany: arsenic in a food supplement from China and Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2025.5292, validated 11 July 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: arsenic in food supplements from the United States, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.4391, validated 11 June 2025.
- Alert notified by France: lead and arsenic in parsley from Belgium, risk decision serious, reference 2025.3124, validated 25 April 2025.
- Alert notified by France: lead and arsenic in herbs or spices from Belgium, risk decision serious, reference 2025.3068, validated 24 April 2025.
- Alert notified by Germany: lead and arsenic in food supplements from the Netherlands, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.2646, validated 9 April 2025.
- Alert notified by Spain: arsenic in a mixed food product from Germany, risk decision serious, reference 2025.0679, validated 31 January 2025.
- Alert notified by France: arsenic and aluminium in plates and bowls from Taiwan, risk decision serious, reference 2024.9099, validated 10 December 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Italy: arsenic in a mixed food product from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2024.8937, validated 3 December 2024.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: arsenic in strawberries from Germany, risk decision serious, reference 2024.8876, validated 29 November 2024.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: arsenic in fish from Iceland, risk decision serious, reference 2024.8685, validated 25 November 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: arsenic in cod from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2024.7310, validated 3 October 2024.
- Information for follow up notified by Slovenia: arsenic in rice from Italy, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.6277, validated 16 August 2024.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 12 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 8 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 1 | 1% |
| Alert | 33 | 49% |
| Information for follow up | 18 | 27% |
| Information for attention | 15 | 22% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 35 | 52% |
| Potentially serious | 10 | 15% |
| Potential risk | 7 | 10% |
| Not serious | 6 | 9% |
| Undecided | 9 | 13% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Plates and bowls | 9 |
| Pots and pans | 7 |
| Food supplements | 5 |
| Rice | 5 |
| Cod | 2 |
| Catfish | 1 |
| Cups and mugs | 1 |
| Fish | 1 |
| Mussels | 1 |
| Parsley | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| China | 14 | 21% |
| Germany | 7 | 10% |
| Spain | 6 | 9% |
| Italy | 5 | 7% |
| Netherlands | 5 | 7% |
| Portugal | 4 | 6% |
| Türkiye | 4 | 6% |
| Belgium | 3 | 4% |
| Georgia | 2 | 3% |
| United States | 2 | 3% |
| Austria | 1 | 1% |
| Canada | 1 | 1% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Food contact materials | 18 | 27% |
| Feed materials | 9 | 13% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 7 | 10% |
| Food supplements and dietetic foods | 7 | 10% |
| Fish and fish products | 5 | 7% |
| Compound feeds | 4 | 6% |
| Feed additives | 4 | 6% |
| Crustaceans | 3 | 4% |
| Food additives and flavourings | 2 | 3% |
| Herbs and spices | 2 | 3% |
| Other and mixed food products | 2 | 3% |
| Bivalve molluscs | 1 | 1% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 13 | 19% |
| France | 10 | 15% |
| Belgium | 9 | 13% |
| Spain | 8 | 12% |
| Netherlands | 8 | 12% |
| Austria | 4 | 6% |
| Slovenia | 4 | 6% |
| Poland | 3 | 4% |
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