Turkey's pepper and nectarine shipments blocked at EU border over pesticide and nickel findings

August 23, 2026 at 10:30 PM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Bulgaria blocked Turkish pepper shipments after detecting multiple pesticide residues, including formetanate and tebufenpyrad. Croatia reported Turkish nectarines with high nickel content to the EU's RASFF system on August 19, 2026.

Key Facts

Bulgaria found emamectin, formetanate, and tebufenpyrad residues in Turkish fresh peppers and refused entry to the EU market.
A separate Bulgarian notification reported chlorpyrifos-methyl in Turkish sweet peppers at 10 times the legal limit.
Croatia notified the RASFF system on August 19, 2026, of high nickel content in Turkish nectarines.
The RASFF system contains another pesticide notification for Turkish peppers.

Pepper Shipments Blocked

Bulgarian border controls detected multiple pesticide residues in fresh peppers from Turkey. The shipment contained emamectin, formetanate, and tebufenpyrad, and was refused entry to the European Union market. A separate Bulgarian notification identified chlorpyrifos-methyl in Turkish sweet peppers at 10 times the legal limit. The RASFF system also contains another pesticide notification for Turkish peppers.

Nectarine Nickel Finding

Croatia reported high nickel content in Turkish nectarines to the RASFF system on August 19, 2026. The European Commission's RASFF record lists the notification as 'high nickel content'. Nickel exposure can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, and prolonged high-level exposure may pose more serious health risks.