Nickel is counted here when a notification names it, in food or migrating from a food contact material. Metals reach food from the environment, from industry and from processing equipment.
46 notifications since 1 January 2020 named nickel, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 10 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 9 in the 365 days before, up 11%. 39% were border rejections and 30% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were China (16), Türkiye (11) and Albania (3). The product categories named most often were food contact materials (30), fruit and vegetables (8) and food supplements and dietetic foods (2). The products named most often were pots and pans (8), kitchen utensils (4) and peppers (4).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Metals as contaminants in food, 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 nickel
The newest 25 of 46, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for attention notified by Ireland: nickel and migration from a food contact material in kitchen utensils from the United Kingdom, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.9831, validated 5 November 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: nickel in peppers from Kosovo, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.8442, validated 23 September 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: nickel in peaches from Türkiye, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7341, validated 19 August 2026.
- Alert notified by Slovakia: nickel, aluminium and migration from a food contact material in kitchen utensils from China, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7016, validated 7 August 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: nickel in walnuts from Belgium and Denmark, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.3905, validated 4 May 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: nickel in asparagus from Spain, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.3616, validated 24 April 2026.
- Alert notified by Ireland: nickel in kitchen utensils from the Netherlands, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.1892, validated 6 March 2026.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: nickel in a cereal or bakery product from Bulgaria, risk decision serious, reference 2026.0854, validated 2 February 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: nickel in cabbages from Serbia, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.0641, validated 27 January 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: formetanate, nickel and heavy metals (not named) in peppers from Albania, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.10196, validated 18 December 2025.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: nickel in peppers from Albania, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.8602, validated 5 November 2025.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: nickel in peppers from North Macedonia, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.7902, validated 15 October 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by the Netherlands: nickel in sunflower seeds from France, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.7678, validated 8 October 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: nickel, cobalt, aluminium and 2 more findings in pots and pans from China, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.6099, validated 19 September 2025.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: cadmium and nickel in garlic powder from China, risk decision serious, reference 2025.6464, validated 25 August 2025.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: nickel in peaches from Albania, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.6367, validated 21 August 2025.
- Alert notified by Slovenia: lead, nickel, cobalt and 3 more findings in cups and mugs from China, risk decision serious, reference 2025.5916, validated 4 August 2025.
- Border rejection notified by Poland: nickel and poor temperature control or heat treatment in juices from Ukraine, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.5329, validated 14 July 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Italy: nickel, manganese and migration from a food contact material in a food contact material from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2024.9146, validated 11 December 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Italy: nickel, chromium, manganese and 1 more findings in pots and pans from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2024.5076, validated 2 July 2024.
- Alert notified by Ireland: nickel and migration from a food contact material in a food contact material from China, risk decision serious, reference 2024.3161, validated 19 April 2024.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: nickel, cobalt and migration from a food contact material in plates and bowls from the Netherlands, risk decision potential risk, reference 2023.8658, validated 14 December 2023.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: lead, nickel and migration from a food contact material in bottles and flasks from Italy, risk decision potential risk, reference 2023.7178, validated 20 October 2023.
- Alert notified by Italy: nickel, chromium and migration from a food contact material in kitchen utensils from China and Italy, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2023.7040, validated 16 October 2023.
- Information for follow up notified by Slovenia: nickel and tin in food supplements from Austria, risk decision not serious, reference 2023.5195, validated 1 August 2023.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 9 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 18 | 39% |
| Alert | 12 | 26% |
| Information for follow up | 11 | 24% |
| Information for attention | 5 | 11% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 14 | 30% |
| Potentially serious | 11 | 24% |
| Potential risk | 13 | 28% |
| Not serious | 8 | 17% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Pots and pans | 8 |
| Kitchen utensils | 4 |
| Peppers | 4 |
| Cups and mugs | 2 |
| Food supplements | 2 |
| Peaches | 2 |
| Asparagus | 1 |
| Bottles and flasks | 1 |
| Cabbages | 1 |
| Garlic powder | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| China | 16 | 35% |
| Türkiye | 11 | 24% |
| Albania | 3 | 7% |
| Spain | 2 | 4% |
| Italy | 2 | 4% |
| Netherlands | 2 | 4% |
| Austria | 1 | 2% |
| Belgium | 1 | 2% |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 2% |
| Switzerland | 1 | 2% |
| Germany | 1 | 2% |
| Denmark | 1 | 2% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Food contact materials | 30 | 65% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 8 | 17% |
| Food supplements and dietetic foods | 2 | 4% |
| Nuts, nut products and seeds | 2 | 4% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 1 | 2% |
| Feed materials | 1 | 2% |
| Herbs and spices | 1 | 2% |
| Non alcoholic beverages | 1 | 2% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | 15 | 33% |
| Germany | 7 | 15% |
| Croatia | 7 | 15% |
| Belgium | 3 | 7% |
| Ireland | 3 | 7% |
| Netherlands | 3 | 7% |
| Poland | 2 | 4% |
| Slovenia | 2 | 4% |
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