EU Food Safety System Flags Sharp Rise in Risks Linked to Turkish Exports

A newly released report from the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reveals a troubling spike in safety notifications concerning food products originating from Turkey. Covering the period from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, the system recorded 5,271 food safety alerts across EU member states—of which 9% were linked to Turkish products, placing Turkey at the top of the list.

What raises even greater concern is the severity classification: approximately 73% of these notifications—three out of every four alerts—were categorized as “serious risk.” This level far exceeds the global average and points to systemic weaknesses in Turkey’s food safety controls, according to the report.

Pesticide Residues Dominate: Fresh Produce Most Affected

The majority of notifications involved fresh fruits and vegetables, with pesticide residues emerging as the primary source of violations. Numerous consignments of green peppers, lemons, and pomegranates were turned back at EU border inspections throughout 2024 after being found to contain banned or over-limit levels of agricultural chemicals.

The report notes that certain pesticides no longer approved in Europe have continued to appear in Turkish shipments, renewing scrutiny of domestic monitoring and compliance systems. Although Turkey officially aligned its maximum residue limits (MRLs) with EU standards in 2025, enforcement gaps persist. As a result, countries such as Italy, France, and Sweden issued repeated alerts throughout the year.

Dried Figs Emerge as the Most Problematic Product Category

In the nuts and dried fruit segment, Turkey faced significant challenges—particularly with dried figs, which accounted for more than one-third of all alerts linked to Turkish products. High concentrations of carcinogenic aflatoxins and ochratoxin A were frequently detected, making dried figs the single most problematic Turkish export from a food safety standpoint.

Throughout 2024 alone, dried figs were cited in 157 separate EU notifications. Similar mycotoxin issues were also detected in other Turkish nut products, including pistachios and hazelnuts. The problem drew international attention when Greece found aflatoxin levels seven times the permitted limit in organic pistachios, while Germany and Bulgaria rejected multiple shipments of figs outright. These incidents have dented the Turkish nut industry’s reputation in the EU market.

Spices Show Natural and Contamination-Related Risks

Spice products, including oregano, cumin, and mint, were flagged for a different set of risks. Some notifications involved naturally occurring plant toxins formed during harvesting or processing, while others resulted from aflatoxin contamination, leading to rejected shipments. Although the overall number of spice-related alerts remains smaller than that of fresh produce or dried fruits, many of these products were still classified as serious risk, prompting EU authorities to block them from reaching the market.

Poultry Exports Affected by Microbiological Concerns

Turkey’s poultry exports also came under scrutiny. In autumn 2025, Italian authorities identified Salmonella Infantis in frozen chicken döner imported from Turkey, which they rejected, bringing renewed attention to microbiological oversight in the sector. While international reports indicate that countries such as Poland and Brazil face more frequent poultry-related violations, Turkey’s inclusion in the alert lists has triggered additional checks for exporters targeting the EU.

Risks Extend Beyond Agriculture

RASFF records also highlight non-agricultural hazards. In 2024, France reported elevated lead levels in pizza boxes imported from Turkey, underscoring that safety concerns extend beyond food products and may also involve packaging materials entering EU markets.

What Happens to Rejected Shipments?

The economic consequences of these rejections are substantial. Each refused shipment results in:

• Direct financial losses for exporters

• Stricter future controls

• Potential damage to market competitiveness

Products denied entry into the EU are either destroyed or redirected to alternative markets. Meanwhile, public debate in Turkey continues over whether rejected products might re-enter the domestic supply chain. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has stated that all returned products undergo inspection and that non-compliant goods are destroyed. However, consumer organizations argue the process lacks transparency and requires more stringent oversight.

Food safety specialists stress that the EU’s increasingly rigorous monitoring requires Turkey to adopt higher, more consistent safety standards from production through export. Addressing pesticide misuse, controlling mycotoxin development at the farm level, and improving microbiological monitoring are seen as essential steps.