Patulin is a mould toxin found mostly in rotting apples and in apple products such as juice made from affected fruit. The EU sets maximum levels for it in Regulation (EU) 2023/915.
21 notifications since 1 January 2020 named patulin, under 1% of all EU notifications in that time. 2 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 3 in the 365 days before, down 33%. 10% were border rejections and 86% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were the Netherlands (4), Denmark (3) and Germany (2). The product categories named most often were non alcoholic beverages (10), fruit and vegetables (8) and ices and desserts (1). The products named most often were juices (9), apples (6) and fruit juice (1).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Mycotoxins fact sheet, World Health Organization; Contaminants, European Commission.
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 patulin
The newest 21 of 21, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Alert notified by Germany: patulin in juices from Germany, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.8960, validated 8 October 2026.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: patulin in apples from the United Kingdom, risk decision serious, reference 2026.7581, validated 27 August 2026.
- Alert notified by France: patulin in an ice cream or dessert from France, risk decision serious, reference 2025.6494, validated 25 August 2025.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: patulin in soft drinks from the Netherlands, risk decision serious, reference 2025.5607, validated 23 July 2025.
- Border rejection notified by Croatia: patulin in juices from Serbia, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2025.0981, validated 12 February 2025.
- Information for follow up notified by Hungary: patulin in apples from Poland, risk decision not serious, reference 2024.3321, validated 25 April 2024.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: patulin in fruit or vegetables from Poland, risk decision serious, reference 2024.1580, validated 5 March 2024.
- Alert notified by Italy: patulin in juices from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2023.8455, validated 7 December 2023.
- Alert notified by Sweden: patulin in juices from Denmark, risk decision serious, reference 2023.5722, validated 24 August 2023.
- Alert notified by Belgium: patulin in a mixed food product from Belgium, risk decision serious, reference 2023.2042, validated 24 March 2023.
- Information for attention notified by France: patulin in a prepared dish or snack from France, risk decision serious, reference 2023.1690, validated 10 March 2023.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: patulin in apples from the Netherlands, risk decision serious, reference 2023.0577, validated 24 January 2023.
- Alert notified by Sweden: patulin in juices from Denmark, risk decision serious, reference 2022.5256, validated 9 September 2022.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: patulin in apples from the Netherlands, risk decision serious, reference 2022.5008, validated 30 August 2022.
- Information for attention notified by Romania: patulin in apples from Romania, risk decision serious, reference 2022.2644, validated 5 May 2022.
- Alert notified by Denmark: patulin in juices from Denmark, risk decision serious, reference 2021.6601, validated 3 December 2021.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: patulin in juices from Germany, risk decision serious, reference 2021.5115, validated 24 September 2021.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: patulin in juices from the Netherlands, risk decision serious, reference 2020.4309, validated 14 October 2020.
- Border rejection notified by Slovakia: patulin in juices from Serbia, risk decision serious, reference 2020.2967, validated 22 July 2020.
- Alert notified by Spain: patulin in apples from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2020.0586, validated 5 February 2020.
- Alert notified by the European Commission: patulin in fruit juice from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2020.0506, validated 31 January 2020.
Other mould toxins: aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, ergot sclerotia or ergot alkaloids.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 2 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 2 | 10% |
| Alert | 15 | 71% |
| Information for follow up | 1 | 5% |
| Information for attention | 3 | 14% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 18 | 86% |
| Potentially serious | 2 | 10% |
| Not serious | 1 | 5% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Juices | 9 |
| Apples | 6 |
| Fruit juice | 1 |
| Soft drinks | 1 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 4 | 19% |
| Denmark | 3 | 14% |
| Germany | 2 | 10% |
| Spain | 2 | 10% |
| France | 2 | 10% |
| Poland | 2 | 10% |
| Serbia | 2 | 10% |
| Belgium | 1 | 5% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 5% |
| Italy | 1 | 5% |
| Romania | 1 | 5% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Non alcoholic beverages | 10 | 48% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 8 | 38% |
| Ices and desserts | 1 | 5% |
| Other and mixed food products | 1 | 5% |
| Prepared dishes and snacks | 1 | 5% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 6 | 29% |
| Germany | 2 | 10% |
| France | 2 | 10% |
| Sweden | 2 | 10% |
| Belgium | 1 | 5% |
| Denmark | 1 | 5% |
| Spain | 1 | 5% |
| European Commission | 1 | 5% |
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