Brussels, 26 March 2026 — Following repeated reports from producers within its member organizations, particularly in the tomato sector, Eat Europe is sounding the alarm over a significant increase in unfair imports from third countries. These developments are causing serious concern across the entire European agri-food supply chain, both in terms of fair competition and consumer safety.

While European Union producers uphold some of the highest safety standards in the world, a growing volume of semi-processed tomato products from third countries—especially Egypt and China—is entering the market without offering the same guarantees in terms of production standards, particularly regarding pesticide residues, food safety, and social standards. This regulatory disparity not only reduces the economic competitiveness of the European agri-food sector but also poses a tangible threat to public health and consumer protection.

The trends in imports of tomato derivatives from China and Egypt are closely interconnected. After years of Chinese semi-processed tomato products—reportedly produced in the Xinjiang region using forced labor from the Uyghur minority—flooding the EU market, import bans imposed by the United States and the United Kingdom, along with awareness campaigns targeting multinational companies, have shifted sourcing toward Egypt, leading to a sharp increase in imports from that country. According to Eat Europe’s analysis, between 2018 and 2022 the value of Egyptian exports of tomato paste and purée rose nearly sixfold, from around $10 million to $57 million (+50% compared to 2021), with the EU as the main destination market, generating a fivefold increase in revenue for Egypt over five years.

Inspections of these imports have revealed alarming issues, including health non-compliance. For example, semi-processed products from Egypt have shown serious and repeated violations of maximum pesticide residue limits during border checks. There is also a significant lack of regulatory reciprocity regarding the approval of chemical substances and sustainable farming practices, resulting in heightened risks for consumers.

In light of this evidence, Eat Europe is calling on EU institutions to introduce an effective reciprocity system, based on the swift adoption of the Omnibus Food & Feed Regulation. Building on existing proposals—but strengthening rules on residues—this framework would ensure fair competition in the use of plant protection products through automatic and timely enforcement mechanisms.

It is also essential to guarantee full transparency along the supply chain, including a clear obligation to indicate the origin—understood as the country of cultivation—of raw materials used in processed products on labels.

In this respect we warmly welcome the remarks recently reported by press agencies from Commissioners Olivér Várhelyi and Christophe Hansen regarding origin labelling, fully in line with what we have always been asking. Both Commissioners highlighted the growing demand from European consumers for greater transparency and, in this context, indicated that the Commission is considering the introduction of more precise country-of-origin labelling, moving beyond the generic indications currently in use (e.g. “EU/non-EU”).

At the same time, Eat Europe stresses the need for the same level of protection ensured within the EU to be fully reflected and specifically applied in free trade agreements, preventing any form of regulatory dumping.

“We cannot accept that the health of European consumers—and the economic fabric of the European agri-food sector—be put at risk by imported products produced under standards far below those of the EU,” said Luigi Scordamaglia, President of Eat Europe. “It is time for the Commission to act and ensure that every processed product meets the same standards of excellence and safety that our European agri-food supply chain guarantees every day.”