Hydrocyanic acid can be released from cyanogenic compounds in some foods. Point 2.3 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets 20 mg/kg for unprocessed apricot kernels sold to the final consumer and 150 mg/kg for linseed sold to the final consumer.
133 notifications since 1 January 2020 named hydrocyanic acid, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 33 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 23 in the 365 days before, up 43%. 8% were border rejections and 51% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were France (14), Kazakhstan (13) and Türkiye (12). The product categories named most often were nuts, nut products and seeds (75), feed materials (20) and fruit and vegetables (14). The products named most often were linseed (53), apricot kernels (33) and food supplements (9).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Contaminants, European Commission; 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 hydrocyanic acid
The newest 25 of 133, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for attention notified by Spain: hydrocyanic acid in cassava from Costa Rica, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9392, validated 21 October 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from the Netherlands, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.8913, validated 8 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Finland: hydrocyanic acid in apricot kernels of unknown origin, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7435, validated 4 September 2026.
- Alert notified by Sweden: hydrocyanic acid in apricot kernels from Afghanistan, risk decision serious, reference 2026.7578, validated 27 August 2026.
- Alert notified by Hungary: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from Slovakia, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7511, validated 25 August 2026.
- Alert notified by Italy: hydrocyanic acid, missing or incorrect health certificates and documents and labelling faults in apricot kernels from Italy, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7017, validated 7 August 2026.
- Alert notified by Germany: hydrocyanic acid in apricots from Syria, risk decision serious, reference 2026.6439, validated 20 July 2026.
- Alert notified by Ireland: hydrocyanic acid in herbal infusions from Ireland, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.6033, validated 7 July 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Austria: hydrocyanic acid and labelling faults in linseed from Iran, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.5435, validated 26 June 2026.
- Alert notified by Croatia: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from Kazakhstan, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.5407, validated 18 June 2026.
- Alert notified by Malta: hydrocyanic acid in linseed of unknown origin, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.5020, validated 8 June 2026.
- Alert notified by Croatia: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from Kazakhstan, risk decision serious, reference 2026.5011, validated 8 June 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from France, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.4633, validated 27 May 2026.
- Alert notified by Latvia: hydrocyanic acid in apricots from Afghanistan, risk decision serious, reference 2026.3669, validated 27 April 2026.
- Alert notified by Spain: pesticide residues and hydrocyanic acid in almonds from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2026.3667, validated 27 April 2026.
- Alert notified by Malta: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from Kazakhstan, risk decision serious, reference 2026.3520, validated 23 April 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from Poland, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.1975, validated 10 March 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from Ukraine, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.1457, validated 20 February 2026.
- Border rejection notified by the Netherlands: cyantraniliprole and hydrocyanic acid in passion fruit from Colombia, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.1402, validated 19 February 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: hydrocyanic acid and labelling faults in a cereal or bakery product from Italy, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.0697, validated 28 January 2026.
- Alert notified by Malta: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from Ukraine, risk decision serious, reference 2026.0603, validated 26 January 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from France, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.0328, validated 15 January 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Estonia: hydrocyanic acid in plums from Hungary, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.0093, validated 7 January 2026.
- Alert notified by Latvia: hydrocyanic acid in nuts or seeds from Afghanistan, risk decision serious, reference 2025.10433, validated 29 December 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: hydrocyanic acid in linseed from Belgium and Russia, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.10425, validated 26 December 2025.
Other natural plant and marine toxins: pyrrolizidine alkaloids, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), histamine.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 20 |
| 2023 | 25 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 29 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 23 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 11 | 8% |
| Alert | 78 | 59% |
| Information for follow up | 29 | 22% |
| Information for attention | 15 | 11% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 68 | 51% |
| Potentially serious | 31 | 23% |
| Potential risk | 14 | 11% |
| Not serious | 12 | 9% |
| Undecided | 7 | 5% |
| No risk | 1 | under 1% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Linseed | 53 |
| Apricot kernels | 33 |
| Food supplements | 9 |
| Almonds | 6 |
| Cassava | 5 |
| Apricots | 4 |
| Flour | 3 |
| Plums | 3 |
| Biscuits | 2 |
| Herbal infusions | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| France | 14 | 11% |
| Kazakhstan | 13 | 10% |
| Türkiye | 12 | 9% |
| Germany | 9 | 7% |
| Italy | 7 | 5% |
| Netherlands | 7 | 5% |
| Slovakia | 7 | 5% |
| Spain | 6 | 5% |
| Pakistan | 6 | 5% |
| Origin not given | 6 | 5% |
| Afghanistan | 5 | 4% |
| Belgium | 5 | 4% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuts, nut products and seeds | 75 | 56% |
| Feed materials | 20 | 15% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 14 | 11% |
| Food supplements and dietetic foods | 10 | 8% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 8 | 6% |
| Other and mixed food products | 4 | 3% |
| Cocoa, coffee and tea | 1 | under 1% |
| Confectionery | 1 | under 1% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 20 | 15% |
| Spain | 16 | 12% |
| Germany | 15 | 11% |
| Ireland | 13 | 10% |
| Czechia | 9 | 7% |
| Denmark | 8 | 6% |
| Netherlands | 8 | 6% |
| France | 6 | 5% |
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