French Supermarkets Must Label Some Moroccan Tomatoes by Region, Not Country
In French supermarkets, some 0.99-euro punnets of cherry tomatoes now display an unusual origin: “Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab.” Behind the label is a new European rule that precisely governs the labeling of products grown in the southern provinces.
At 0.99 euros for 250 grams, these cherry tomatoes have become a familiar sight on French supermarket shelves. But one detail on their labels has changed. Instead of “Morocco,” consumers now see “Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab.” The French daily La Dépêche du Midi explains the intriguing label in a report published on Saturday, October 17.
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The change applies to tomatoes grown in the Dakhla region, in the Sahara. A second designation is also planned for products harvested farther north: “Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra.” The two names correspond to the Moroccan administrative regions specified under the new European trade framework.
The change stems from rulings issued by the Court of Justice of the European Union in October 2024. A year later, Morocco and the EU concluded a new agricultural agreement, provisionally applied since October 4, 2025. It provides for specific regional labeling for fruit and vegetables grown in the Sahara and subject to Moroccan customs control.
A mandatory designation, right down to the punnets
The rules are particularly strict. In an official notice dated July 23, 2026, French Customs and the DGCCRF specify that the designations “Dakhla Oued Ed-Dahab” and “Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra” may not be abbreviated or replaced with “Morocco” or “Western Sahara.” Nor may they be combined with those other labels to indicate origin.
For retailers, the requirement goes beyond the price label. The region’s name must also appear on punnet packaging, shipping cartons and commercial documents. The same rule applies to distance selling and advertising when origin labeling is mandatory.
The framework stems from European Regulation 2025/2652, which entered into force on December 24, 2025, and applies retroactively from October 3. It covers fruit and vegetables actually grown in the two regions concerned, not all Moroccan agricultural exports.
A tomato harvested in the Souss-Massa region can therefore still carry the label “Origin: Morocco.” For a punnet from Dakhla covered by the framework, the exact name of the region must appear—even on French supermarket shelves.
