Moroccan Tomato Scare Debunked: EU Import Ban Proven False

"On September 10, a single batch of cherry tomatoes from Morocco was intercepted in the Netherlands, and the Dutch authorities suspended the import of this particular batch, which is a standard procedure. Apart from this isolated incident, the information reporting a suspension of imports of Moroccan tomatoes throughout the European Union is completely false," said an ONSSA official, quoted by Fresh Plaza, thus denying the information relayed in the European press and Moroccan media concerning a general suspension of imports of Moroccan cherry tomatoes following the health alert issued in the Netherlands under the RASFF system, under number 2025.6942, reporting a metal contamination in a batch of Moroccan cherry tomatoes. This batch has been withdrawn from the market.

"Alerts issued by the RASFF system regarding Moroccan fresh products remain rare and represent only a tiny fraction of the total number of alerts. For the year 2025, 478 alerts related to fresh products were recorded, of which only 9 concerned products of Moroccan origin, i.e. a proportion of 1.8%. This low percentage attests to the compliance with international health standards and the safety of Moroccan products intended for export," the same official recalled.

According to a representative of the producers, cherry tomato exports are continuing normally. "Exports of Moroccan cherry tomatoes to Europe remain limited at this time of year due to the seasonality of Moroccan production, but they are nevertheless continuing normally. In fact, as of September 15, a batch of cherry tomatoes was delivered without any difficulty to the European market," he specified.