Contaminated Dried Figs from Türkiye Stopped at Malta’s Border
A consignment of dried figs originating from Türkiye and intended for Malta was stopped at the border after official controls detected Ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin, at levels significantly above the European Union’s legal limit.
According to the European Commission’s RASFF Window (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed), Malta filed a border rejection notification on 23 April 2026 concerning the “presence of Ochratoxin A in dried figs from Turkey.” The case was registered as Notification 2026.3496, indicating that the shipment was detained during border control and did not enter the Maltese market.
The figures shown in the notification are notable. The analytical result recorded in the official entry indicates 198 ± 59.4 µg/kg of Ochratoxin A. Under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915, the legal maximum level for dried figs is 8 µg/kg. This means the detected level was approximately 25 times higher than the EU legal threshold.
The RASFF entry classifies the case as a border rejection, which means the consignment was intercepted before it could be placed on the market. The measures listed in the notification state that the product was to be redispatched or destroyed, thereby preventing distribution to consumers in Malta.
It is important to note that the official public record does not identify the producer, exporter, importer, or brand associated with the consignment. For this reason, while the contamination is confirmed in the EU notification, the available public documentation does not permit the attribution of responsibility to a named company or operator at this stage.
Ochratoxin A is a naturally occurring toxin produced by certain moulds. It can develop in dried foods when drying, storage, or handling conditions are poor. In practical terms, this means that contamination may arise at different stages of the supply chain, from production to export logistics. What is clear from the official record is that Malta’s border controls detected the issue and prevented the shipment from entering the local market.
