Nicotine 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).
20 notifications since 1 January 2020 named nicotine, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 1 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 1 in the 365 days before, no change. 0% were border rejections and 80% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were Denmark (5), Sweden (4) and Poland (2). The product categories named most often were other and mixed food products (13), fruit and vegetables (3) and food additives and flavourings (2). The products named most often were chewing gum (1), grapefruit (1) and mushrooms (1).
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 nicotine
The newest 20 of 20, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: nicotine in sweets from the United States, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9338, validated 20 October 2026.
- Alert notified by Finland: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in chewing gum from Estonia, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.0637, validated 30 January 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Malta: nicotine in grapefruit from Egypt, risk decision not serious, reference 2024.3718, validated 10 May 2024.
- Alert notified by France: cypermethrin, nicotine, propoxur and 1 more findings in mushrooms from China, risk decision serious, reference 2024.3611, validated 7 May 2024.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Lithuania, risk decision serious, reference 2023.3943, validated 13 June 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Estonia: nicotine and vitamins, minerals or other nutrients above safe levels in a food additive or flavouring from the United Kingdom, risk decision serious, reference 2022.1724, validated 24 March 2022.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: nicotine in pears from Türkiye, risk decision serious, reference 2022.1109, validated 25 February 2022.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine in a mixed food product from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2022.0888, validated 15 February 2022.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine in a mixed food product from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2021.5914, validated 2 November 2021.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine in a food additive or flavouring from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2021.5916, validated 2 November 2021.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product of unknown origin, risk decision undecided, reference 2021.3815, validated 16 July 2021.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Sweden, risk decision serious, reference 2021.1629, validated 31 March 2021.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Denmark, risk decision undecided, reference 2021.1001, validated 26 February 2021.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Denmark, risk decision serious, reference 2020.5450, validated 1 December 2020.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Sweden, risk decision serious, reference 2020.5429, validated 30 November 2020.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from India, risk decision serious, reference 2020.5420, validated 30 November 2020.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Sweden, risk decision serious, reference 2020.5424, validated 30 November 2020.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Denmark, risk decision serious, reference 2020.5418, validated 30 November 2020.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Denmark, risk decision serious, reference 2020.5417, validated 30 November 2020.
- Alert notified by Germany: nicotine and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Denmark and Sweden, risk decision serious, reference 2020.5422, validated 30 November 2020.
Other pesticide residues: chlorpyrifos, ethylene oxide, pesticide residues.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 1 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alert | 13 | 65% |
| Information for follow up | 2 | 10% |
| Information for attention | 5 | 25% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 16 | 80% |
| Potentially serious | 1 | 5% |
| Not serious | 1 | 5% |
| Undecided | 2 | 10% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Chewing gum | 1 |
| Grapefruit | 1 |
| Mushrooms | 1 |
| Pears | 1 |
| Sweets | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 5 | 25% |
| Sweden | 4 | 20% |
| Poland | 2 | 10% |
| China | 1 | 5% |
| Estonia | 1 | 5% |
| Egypt | 1 | 5% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 5% |
| India | 1 | 5% |
| Italy | 1 | 5% |
| Lithuania | 1 | 5% |
| Türkiye | 1 | 5% |
| United States | 1 | 5% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other and mixed food products | 13 | 65% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 3 | 15% |
| Food additives and flavourings | 2 | 10% |
| Confectionery | 2 | 10% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 16 | 80% |
| Estonia | 1 | 5% |
| Finland | 1 | 5% |
| France | 1 | 5% |
| Malta | 1 | 5% |
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