Disinfectant residues is a contaminant: a substance not added on purpose that ends up in food during production, processing or transport, or from the environment.
24 notifications since 1 January 2020 named disinfectant residues, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 2 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 4 in the 365 days before, down 50%. 0% were border rejections and 8% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were Türkiye (9), Thailand (3) and France (2). The product categories named most often were fruit and vegetables (11), cereals and bakery products (4) and natural mineral waters (2). The products named most often were lemons (4), grapefruit (3) and chicken meat (2).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Contaminants, European Commission; Chemical contaminants, 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 disinfectant residues
The newest 24 of 24, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for attention notified by Lithuania: pesticide residues and disinfectant residues in chicken meat from Lithuania, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.6805, validated 30 July 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Slovakia: pesticide residues and disinfectant residues in chicken meat from Czechia, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.5145, validated 10 June 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Ireland: disinfectant residues in wine from South Africa, risk decision not serious, reference 2025.7321, validated 24 September 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Spain: disinfectant residues in beet pulp from Egypt, risk decision not serious, reference 2025.5828, validated 31 July 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: disinfectant residues and spoilage or decomposition in food supplements from the Netherlands, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.5375, validated 30 July 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Sweden: disinfectant residues and an unauthorised additive in flour from Thailand, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.3528, validated 12 May 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Finland: disinfectant residues and an unauthorised additive in flour from Thailand, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.5663, validated 24 July 2024.
- Information for follow up notified by Sweden: disinfectant residues and an unauthorised additive in cakes and pastries from Thailand, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.5454, validated 16 July 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: pesticide residues and disinfectant residues in grapefruit from Türkiye, risk decision not serious, reference 2024.1898, validated 13 March 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Romania: disinfectant residues in mandarins from Türkiye, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2024.1276, validated 23 February 2024.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: disinfectant residues in grains from Spain, risk decision potential risk, reference 2023.8064, validated 22 November 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: disinfectant residues in cabbages from Portugal, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2023.5886, validated 30 August 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: disinfectant residues in grapefruit from Türkiye, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2023.5817, validated 28 August 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: imazalil and disinfectant residues in lemons from Türkiye, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2023.5828, validated 28 August 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: disinfectant residues in grapefruit from Türkiye, risk decision no risk, reference 2023.3868, validated 9 June 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: disinfectant residues in lemons from Türkiye, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2023.3880, validated 9 June 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: disinfectant residues in mandarins from Türkiye, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2023.3521, validated 26 May 2023.
- Information for follow up notified by Italy: disinfectant residues in mineral water from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2023.3016, validated 8 May 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Romania: disinfectant residues in lemons from Türkiye, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2023.2994, validated 5 May 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Romania: disinfectant residues in salad leaves from Italy, risk decision potential risk, reference 2023.0940, validated 8 February 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Austria: disinfectant residues in lemons from Türkiye, risk decision undecided, reference 2022.3584, validated 17 June 2022.
- Information for attention notified by Belgium: disinfectant residues in perch from Uganda, risk decision not serious, reference 2022.0655, validated 3 February 2022.
- Alert notified by France: pesticide residues and disinfectant residues in mineral water from France, risk decision serious, reference 2021.2811, validated 1 June 2021.
- Alert notified by France: pesticide residues and disinfectant residues in milk from France, risk decision serious, reference 2020.5564, validated 4 December 2020.
Other process and environmental contaminants: mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH, MOAH), 3 MCPD and glycidyl esters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 2 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alert | 2 | 8% |
| Information for follow up | 7 | 29% |
| Information for attention | 15 | 62% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 2 | 8% |
| Potentially serious | 7 | 29% |
| Potential risk | 6 | 25% |
| Not serious | 7 | 29% |
| Undecided | 1 | 4% |
| No risk | 1 | 4% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Lemons | 4 |
| Grapefruit | 3 |
| Chicken meat | 2 |
| Flour | 2 |
| Mandarins | 2 |
| Beet pulp | 1 |
| Cabbages | 1 |
| Cakes and pastries | 1 |
| Food supplements | 1 |
| Grains | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | 9 | 38% |
| Thailand | 3 | 12% |
| France | 2 | 8% |
| Italy | 2 | 8% |
| Czechia | 1 | 4% |
| Egypt | 1 | 4% |
| Spain | 1 | 4% |
| Lithuania | 1 | 4% |
| Netherlands | 1 | 4% |
| Portugal | 1 | 4% |
| Uganda | 1 | 4% |
| South Africa | 1 | 4% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetables | 11 | 46% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 4 | 17% |
| Natural mineral waters | 2 | 8% |
| Poultry meat | 2 | 8% |
| Alcoholic beverages | 1 | 4% |
| Feed materials | 1 | 4% |
| Fish and fish products | 1 | 4% |
| Food supplements and dietetic foods | 1 | 4% |
| Milk and milk products | 1 | 4% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Czechia | 6 | 25% |
| Romania | 3 | 12% |
| Germany | 2 | 8% |
| France | 2 | 8% |
| Sweden | 2 | 8% |
| Austria | 1 | 4% |
| Belgium | 1 | 4% |
| Spain | 1 | 4% |
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