Despite relatively low per capita rice consumption in the European Union (EU), averaging approximately 9 kg annually between 2010 and 2023, imports from Asian countries have shown a sustained upward trend since 2013. This study assessed hazards associated with rice available on the EU market. Data were obtained from Faostat, Eurostat, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), and the Web of Science. Pivot tables and a two-way joining cluster analysis were applied to examine temporal and geographical patterns in reported notifications. Notifications primarily concerned genetically modified rice (32%), pesticide residues (21%), and mycotoxins (17%). During 2006–2014, notifications mainly related to unauthorized genetic modifications in rice originating from China and the United States, whereas between 2017 and 2023, they predominantly involved excessive pesticide residues and mycotoxin contamination in rice from India and Pakistan. Most hazards were classified as border rejections (37%), reflecting the effectiveness and vigilance of EU food safety authorities. While rice is generally considered low risk for European consumers, rising cultural integration and the growing popularity of Asian cuisine may increase consumption in the future. Continuous monitoring, rigorous risk assessment, and collaboration with exporting countries are therefore essential to maintain high food safety standards and ensure consumer protection across the EU market.
Pigłowski et al. (Tue,) studied this question.