Lead reaches food from the environment, from farming and industry, and from contamination during processing. The EU sets maximum levels for it in point 3.1 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/915.
270 notifications since 1 January 2020 named lead, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 27 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 64 in the 365 days before, down 58%. 6% were border rejections and 64% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were China (41), Italy (25) and Germany (22). The product categories named most often were food contact materials (77), meat other than poultry (35) and food supplements and dietetic foods (29). The products named most often were cups and mugs (23), food containers (19) and food supplements (16).
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 lead
The newest 25 of 270, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: lead and migration from a food contact material in pots and pans from France, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7373, validated 7 September 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: lead, copper, an unauthorised additive and 1 more findings in a feed additive from Ukraine, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.7096, validated 10 August 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: lead in sweet potatoes from the United States, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7077, validated 10 August 2026.
- Alert notified by Portugal: lead in a mixed food product from the United Kingdom, risk decision serious, reference 2026.6961, validated 5 August 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: lead and migration from a food contact material in a food contact material from the United Kingdom, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.6840, validated 31 July 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.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: lead in olives from Morocco, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.6291, validated 15 July 2026.
- Alert notified by Portugal: lead in cinnamon from Spain, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.5716, validated 29 June 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Spain: lead in meat products from the United Kingdom, risk decision serious, reference 2026.5360, validated 17 June 2026.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: lead in a feed material from Germany, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4789, validated 1 June 2026.
- Alert notified by Poland: cadmium, lead, migration from a food contact material and 1 more findings in cups and mugs from China, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4680, validated 28 May 2026.
- Alert notified by Slovakia: cadmium, lead, heavy metals (not named) and 1 more findings in cups and mugs from China, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4607, validated 26 May 2026.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: lead in olives from Morocco, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4142, validated 12 May 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by the Netherlands: lead in an animal by product from Germany, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.3545, validated 23 April 2026.
- Alert notified by France: lead in avocados from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2026.3238, validated 16 April 2026.
- Alert notified by France: lead in food supplements from India and Italy, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.3220, validated 15 April 2026.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: lead in fruit or vegetables from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2026.2532, validated 24 March 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Spain: lead in avocados from Mexico, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.1875, validated 6 March 2026.
- Alert notified by France: lead and migration from a food contact material in plates and bowls from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2026.1530, validated 24 February 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Spain: lead in garlic from India, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.1150, validated 11 February 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Austria: lead in poultry meat from the Netherlands, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.1057, validated 9 February 2026.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: ochratoxin A and lead in vanilla from Madagascar, risk decision serious, reference 2026.1001, validated 6 February 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: lead in food supplements from Germany, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.0166, validated 9 January 2026.
- Alert notified by Slovakia: cadmium, lead, heavy metals (not named) and 1 more findings in cups and mugs from Greece, risk decision serious, reference 2025.10256, validated 19 December 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Poland: cadmium, lead, heavy metals (not named) and 2 more findings in cups and mugs from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.9647, validated 3 December 2025.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 30 |
| 2022 | 33 |
| 2023 | 50 |
| 2024 | 53 |
| 2025 | 59 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 23 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 15 | 6% |
| Alert | 135 | 50% |
| Information for follow up | 37 | 14% |
| Information for attention | 83 | 31% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 174 | 64% |
| Potentially serious | 41 | 15% |
| Potential risk | 23 | 9% |
| Not serious | 18 | 7% |
| Undecided | 14 | 5% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Cups and mugs | 23 |
| Food containers | 19 |
| Food supplements | 16 |
| Lamb or mutton | 13 |
| Plates and bowls | 13 |
| Sausages | 12 |
| Cinnamon | 11 |
| Beef | 5 |
| Onions | 4 |
| Pots and pans | 4 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| China | 41 | 15% |
| Italy | 25 | 9% |
| Germany | 22 | 8% |
| United Kingdom | 21 | 8% |
| India | 20 | 7% |
| Spain | 19 | 7% |
| Türkiye | 14 | 5% |
| Czechia | 12 | 4% |
| Poland | 11 | 4% |
| Vietnam | 10 | 4% |
| Belgium | 9 | 3% |
| France | 7 | 3% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Food contact materials | 77 | 29% |
| Meat other than poultry | 35 | 13% |
| Food supplements and dietetic foods | 29 | 11% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 29 | 11% |
| Herbs and spices | 29 | 11% |
| Feed materials | 20 | 7% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 8 | 3% |
| Feed additives | 7 | 3% |
| Cocoa, coffee and tea | 5 | 2% |
| Other and mixed food products | 5 | 2% |
| Compound feeds | 4 | 1% |
| Fish and fish products | 4 | 1% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 64 | 24% |
| France | 49 | 18% |
| Netherlands | 28 | 10% |
| Poland | 21 | 8% |
| Czechia | 16 | 6% |
| Belgium | 15 | 6% |
| Austria | 13 | 5% |
| Italy | 13 | 5% |
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