Nitrate is a contaminant: a substance not added on purpose that ends up in food during production, processing or transport, or from the environment.
29 notifications since 1 January 2020 named nitrate, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 8 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 4 in the 365 days before, up 100%. 0% were border rejections and 14% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were Italy (16), Belgium (3) and Spain (3). The product categories named most often were fruit and vegetables (22), fish and fish products (2) and meat other than poultry (2). The products named most often were spinach (17), salad leaves (5) and sausages (2).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Contaminants, European Commission; Chemical contaminants, 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 nitrate
The newest 25 of 29, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: nitrate in sausages from Belgium, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.9771, validated 3 November 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Belgium: nitrate in spinach from Spain, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.8755, validated 2 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Finland: nitrate in spinach from Sweden, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.8416, validated 23 September 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Latvia: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.6592, validated 24 July 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Belgium: nitrate in salad leaves from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.4174, validated 12 May 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Slovakia: nitrate in salad leaves from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2026.4122, validated 11 May 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Italy: nitrate in tuna from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2025.10403, validated 24 December 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Spain: nitrate in spinach from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2025.8819, validated 11 November 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Slovakia: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2025.3254, validated 30 April 2025.
- Information for attention notified by France: nitrate in a mixed food product from France, risk decision serious, reference 2025.2921, validated 17 April 2025.
- Information for attention notified by Ireland: nitrate in salad leaves from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2025.2772, validated 14 April 2025.
- Information for attention notified by France: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2024.8667, validated 22 November 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: nitrate in salad leaves from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2024.3954, validated 21 May 2024.
- Information for attention notified by Finland: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2023.8491, validated 11 December 2023.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: nitrate in juices from the United Kingdom, risk decision potential risk, reference 2023.3138, validated 24 May 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision undecided, reference 2023.0411, validated 18 January 2023.
- Information for follow up notified by Portugal: nitrate in spinach from Belgium, risk decision potential risk, reference 2023.0164, validated 9 January 2023.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision undecided, reference 2022.7227, validated 12 December 2022.
- Alert notified by Belgium: nitrate in a prepared dish or snack from France, risk decision serious, reference 2022.7156, validated 8 December 2022.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: nitrate in salad leaves from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2022.2345, validated 22 April 2022.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2021.6018, validated 5 November 2021.
- Information for attention notified by Slovakia: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2021.5943, validated 3 November 2021.
- Information for attention notified by Czechia: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2021.5669, validated 20 October 2021.
- Information for attention notified by Spain: nitrate and an unauthorised additive in cod from China, risk decision not serious, reference 2021.2917, validated 7 June 2021.
- Information for attention notified by Denmark: nitrate in spinach from Italy, risk decision not serious, reference 2021.0327, validated 21 January 2021.
Other process and environmental contaminants: mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH, MOAH), 3 MCPD and glycidyl esters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 6 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alert | 1 | 3% |
| Information for follow up | 6 | 21% |
| Information for attention | 22 | 76% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 4 | 14% |
| Potentially serious | 1 | 3% |
| Potential risk | 3 | 10% |
| Not serious | 18 | 62% |
| Undecided | 3 | 10% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Spinach | 17 |
| Salad leaves | 5 |
| Sausages | 2 |
| Cod | 1 |
| Juices | 1 |
| Tuna | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | 16 | 55% |
| Belgium | 3 | 10% |
| Spain | 3 | 10% |
| France | 3 | 10% |
| China | 1 | 3% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 3% |
| Netherlands | 1 | 3% |
| Sweden | 1 | 3% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetables | 22 | 76% |
| Fish and fish products | 2 | 7% |
| Meat other than poultry | 2 | 7% |
| Other and mixed food products | 1 | 3% |
| Prepared dishes and snacks | 1 | 3% |
| Non alcoholic beverages | 1 | 3% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 6 | 21% |
| Czechia | 4 | 14% |
| France | 3 | 10% |
| Slovakia | 3 | 10% |
| Denmark | 2 | 7% |
| Spain | 2 | 7% |
| Finland | 2 | 7% |
| Poland | 2 | 7% |
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