Ethephon 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).
30 notifications since 1 January 2020 named ethephon, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 3 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 6 in the 365 days before, down 50%. 0% were border rejections and 83% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were Poland (6), Egypt (5) and Cameroon (3). The product categories named most often were fruit and vegetables (29) and herbs and spices (1). The products named most often were grapes (9), pineapples (9) and peppers (6).
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 ethephon
The newest 25 of 30, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for attention notified by Romania: ethephon in peppers from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9909, validated 6 November 2026.
- Information for attention notified by France: ethephon in pineapples from Togo, risk decision serious, reference 2026.7462, validated 24 August 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: ethephon in chilli peppers from Türkiye, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7144, validated 12 August 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: ethephon in peppers from the Netherlands, risk decision serious, reference 2025.8599, validated 5 November 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Austria: ethephon in grapes from Egypt, risk decision serious, reference 2025.5193, validated 8 July 2025.
- Alert notified by Belgium: ethephon in pineapples from Benin, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.3574, validated 13 May 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: ethephon in grapes from South Africa, risk decision serious, reference 2025.1212, validated 20 February 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: ethephon in grapes from South Africa, risk decision serious, reference 2025.1024, validated 13 February 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: ethephon in chillies from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.0316, validated 17 January 2025.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: ethephon in grapes from Egypt, risk decision serious, reference 2024.5143, validated 4 July 2024.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: ethephon in grapes from Egypt, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2024.5140, validated 4 July 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: ethephon in grapes from Egypt, risk decision potential risk, reference 2024.5112, validated 3 July 2024.
- Alert notified by Belgium: ethephon in peppers from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2024.3070, validated 16 April 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: ethephon in grapes from South Africa, risk decision serious, reference 2024.1273, validated 23 February 2024.
- Alert notified by Belgium: ethephon in tomatoes from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2024.0960, validated 9 February 2024.
- Alert notified by Belgium: ethephon and cadmium in peppers from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2023.8522, validated 11 December 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Belgium: ethephon in pineapples from Ghana, risk decision serious, reference 2023.4876, validated 19 July 2023.
- Alert notified by Belgium: ethephon in tomatoes from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2023.4788, validated 14 July 2023.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: ethephon in grapes from Egypt, risk decision serious, reference 2023.4545, validated 6 July 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Portugal: ethephon in papayas from Brazil, risk decision serious, reference 2023.4482, validated 4 July 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Austria: ethephon in mangoes from the Dominican Republic, risk decision serious, reference 2022.4325, validated 25 July 2022.
- Alert notified by Belgium: ethephon in pineapples from Cameroon, risk decision serious, reference 2022.1275, validated 3 March 2022.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: ethephon in peppers from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2021.6777, validated 9 December 2021.
- Alert notified by Estonia: ethephon in peppers from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2021.5855, validated 29 October 2021.
- Alert notified by Belgium: ethephon in pineapples from Ghana, risk decision serious, reference 2021.2279, validated 7 May 2021.
Other pesticide residues: chlorpyrifos, ethylene oxide, pesticide residues.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 3 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alert | 14 | 47% |
| Information for attention | 16 | 53% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 25 | 83% |
| Potentially serious | 4 | 13% |
| Potential risk | 1 | 3% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Grapes | 9 |
| Pineapples | 9 |
| Peppers | 6 |
| Tomatoes | 2 |
| Chilli peppers | 1 |
| Chillies | 1 |
| Mangoes | 1 |
| Papayas | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | 6 | 20% |
| Egypt | 5 | 17% |
| Cameroon | 3 | 10% |
| South Africa | 3 | 10% |
| Benin | 2 | 7% |
| Ghana | 2 | 7% |
| Togo | 2 | 7% |
| Brazil | 1 | 3% |
| China | 1 | 3% |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | 3% |
| Spain | 1 | 3% |
| Italy | 1 | 3% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetables | 29 | 97% |
| Herbs and spices | 1 | 3% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 12 | 40% |
| Netherlands | 5 | 17% |
| Germany | 4 | 13% |
| Austria | 2 | 7% |
| Poland | 2 | 7% |
| Estonia | 1 | 3% |
| France | 1 | 3% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 3% |
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