Austrian food safety authorities have issued a notification through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) after detecting excessive levels of chlorpyrifos in turmeric powder originating from India. According to RASFF Notification 2026.6388, the incident has been classified as a potentially serious risk. The non-compliance was identified during official market controls, where laboratory analysis detected chlorpyrifos at 0.039 ± 0.020 mg/kg, exceeding the applicable EU maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.01 mg/kg. Chlorpyrifos is not approved for use in the European Union, and the detected residue level was nearly four times the permitted limit. The affected product, marketed as turmeric powder (Kurkumapulver), originated from India and was intended for distribution in multiple European countries. In response, Austrian authorities initiated a market withdrawal and notified relevant authorities in Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia to support follow-up actions. No illnesses associated with the affected batch have been reported. However, food business operators importing spices into the EU should continue to monitor pesticide compliance closely, particularly for substances that are no longer approved under EU pesticide legislation.
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