Exporting nuts to the European market must strictly comply with the EU's unified food safety, labeling, and access regulatory system. The core standards cover microbial and chemical pollutant limits, mandatory labeling requirements, certification mechanisms, and border inspection procedures, as follows:
1、 Food Safety Limit Standards
The EU's safety control of nut products focuses on aflatoxin and pesticide residues, implementing the strictest global limits:
|Pollutant type | Applicable nuts | Maximum residue limit (MRL) | Regulatory basis|
|Aflatoxin B ₁ | Almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, etc. | 2.0 μ g/kg | (EC) No 1881/2006|
|Total aflatoxin content (B ₁+B ₂+G ₁+G ₂) | Same as above | 4.0 μ g/kg | (EC) No 1881/2006|
|Pesticide residues (such as fluazinam, thiamethoxam) | Almonds, apples, sorghum, etc. | 0.01 mg/kg (unified limit) | (EU) 2026/140 (effective from August 12, 2026)|
|Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) | Tree Nuts, Oilseeds | 0.5 mg/kg | (EU) 2023/915 (Revised in 2026)|
Note: Starting from August 12, 2026, the European Union will move six pesticides from the conventional MRL list to Annex V for extremely low detection limit control. Residues exceeding 0.01 mg/kg will be considered violations and there is no room for error.
2、 Mandatory labeling requirements
According to the Food Information Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, all pre packaged nut products must contain the following information:
Product name: Clearly label "almond", "walnut", "mixed nut", etc., and do not use vague terms;
Allergen labeling: Nut allergens are mandatory and must be labeled in bold, highlighted colors, or separately listed (e.g. "contains: nuts (almonds, walnuts)");
Nutrient composition table: must include the content of energy (kJ/kcal), fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, salt, in units of 100g or per serving;
Origin: If it is not produced in the European Union, it must be marked as "Country of Origin: China";
Producer/importer information: name, address, contact information;
Batch number/production date: Ensure product traceability;
Storage conditions: such as "keep in a cool and dry place, seal and refrigerate after opening".
3、 Certification and Compliance Mechanism
CE mark: Although not exclusively for food certification, export enterprises often use the CE declaration to prove that their products comply with the basic safety requirements of the EU's "New Methods for Technical Coordination and Standardization" as an auxiliary document for customs clearance;
HACCP system: All export enterprises must establish and implement a food safety management system based on HACCP, and keep complete records;
Official certificate: Nuts exported to the European Union must be accompanied by a certificate of origin and a third-party testing report (covering aflatoxins, pesticide residues, and microorganisms), issued by an EU accredited laboratory;
Border inspection: Nuts are high-risk non animal derived foods, and the EU implements 100% document review and random sampling testing, with a focus on screening for aflatoxins and pesticide residues.
4、 Special Risks and Compliance Tips
Cross contamination risk: If the processing environment simultaneously handles allergens such as gluten, dairy products, peanuts, etc., physical isolation and cleaning verification must be implemented to avoid misleading labeling;
Packaging material compliance: Packaging materials (plastic, paper, aluminum foil) that come into contact with nuts must comply with the (EU) 10/2011 Food Contact Materials Regulation, which prohibits the migration of harmful substances;
Case report of Chinese export enterprises: From 2025 to 2026, Chinese exported nuts were reported more than 17 times by the EU RASFF system due to excessive levels of aflatoxin and unmarked allergens, mainly involving production areas in Shandong, Henan, and Xinjiang.
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