Exporting nuts to the European market must comply with a series of mandatory EU regulations and technical standards, covering four core areas: food safety, labeling, production management, and customs inspection. The following is the European standard system applicable to exporting nuts:
1、 Food Safety Limit Standards
The EU has implemented the strictest global control over biotoxins and chemical residues in nuts, mainly based on the following regulations:
|Pollutant type | Applicable product | Maximum residue limit | Effective/revised time | Regulatory basis|
|Aflatoxin B ₁ | Almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts | 2.0 μ g/kg | Continuously effective | (EC) No 1881/2006|
|Total aflatoxin content (B ₁+B ₂+G ₁+G ₂) | Same as above | 4.0 μ g/kg | Continuously effective | (EC) No 1881/2006|
|Pesticide residues (such as fluazuron and thiamethoxam) | Tree nuts | 0.01 mg/kg | Effective from August 12, 2026 | (EU) 2026/140|
|Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) | Tree Nuts, Oilseeds | 0.5 mg/kg | Proposed Revision in 2026 | (EU) 2023/915|
Note: Starting from August 12, 2026, the European Union will include six pesticides in the "extremely low detection limit" list, with residues exceeding 0.01 mg/kg considered illegal and without buffer space.
2、 Mandatory food labeling requirements
According to (EU) 1169/2011, all pre packaged nut products must include the following essential information:
Product name: Specific nut types (such as "almond" and "walnut") must be clearly labeled, and vague expressions such as "mixed nuts" are prohibited;
Allergen identification: Nuts are legal allergens and must be highlighted in bold, enlarged font or red background. Format example: "Contains: Nuts (almonds, walnuts)";
Nutrient composition table: Energy (kJ/kcal), fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, and salt should be listed for every 100g or portion;
Origin: Non EU products must be labeled with "Country of Origin: China";
Producer/importer information: complete name, address, contact information (preferably including responsible parties within the European Union);
Batch number and production date: Ensure product traceability;
Storage conditions: such as "avoiding light, sealed, and refrigerated storage".
3、 Production and Certification System
HACCP system: All export enterprises must establish and implement a HACCP plan based on the International Food Code (CAC), with key control points including raw material reception, drying process, packaging environment cleanliness, etc;
Official testing report: The export must be accompanied by a testing report issued by an EU accredited laboratory, covering aflatoxins, pesticide residues MOAH、 Microbial and cross contamination screening;
Certificate of Origin: Form A or CO certificate is required as a basis for tariff preferences and compliance;
Food contact material compliance: Packaging materials must comply with (EU) 10/2011, and the migration of harmful substances such as phthalates and bisphenol A is prohibited.
4、 Border inspection and risk control
High risk product category: Nuts are classified as non animal derived high-risk foods, and the EU implements 100% document review and random sampling testing;
Key inspection items: exceeding the standard of aflatoxin, failure to label allergens, missing label information, and violation of packaging materials;
RASFF warning mechanism: From 2025 to 2026, China's exported nuts have been notified more than 17 times by the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food Safety (RASFF) due to the above-mentioned issues, mainly from production areas in Shandong, Henan, and Xinjiang.
5、 Special policy support for Linyi region
As an important nut export base in China, Linyi, Shandong enjoys the following convenient measures:
Pilot of market procurement trade mode: applicable to cooked nuts and stir fried goods, without the need for export food production enterprises to register, and can achieve "one declaration, one inspection, and one customs clearance";
Speed up export tax rebate: The Lingang District Taxation Bureau has achieved the completion of export tax rebates within 24 hours, with a paperless declaration rate of 100%;
Testing service support: China Inspection and Certification Group (CCIC) has set up a point in Linyi, which can quickly issue EU mutual recognition testing reports.
Compliance Reminder: The EU 2026/140, which will come into effect on August 12, 2026, will comprehensively tighten pesticide residue standards. It is recommended that companies complete the upgrade of their raw material supply chain and testing capabilities in advance to avoid customs clearance obstacles.
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