For Indian dehydrated onion and garlic, Marseille offers the shortest sea route into France, through the Suez Canal and straight into the Mediterranean. The goods clear at the port under French and EU rules, which are set out in our guide to importing into France.
Marseille-Fos
The Port of Marseille Fos has two parts: the eastern basins in the city and the much larger western basins at Fos-sur-Mer, around 50 kilometres away, where the main container terminals are. Most containers from India land at Fos, usually after a Mediterranean transhipment, in roughly three to four weeks from Mundra or Nhava Sheva.
Marseille was, with Le Havre, the first port where French customs took over food import health checks from the DGCCRF in November 2021. SIVEP also has a border post here for goods that need plant health checks. From Fos, goods go by road or by rail and barge up the Rhône corridor towards Lyon, so a Marseille entry can also serve buyers further north.
A long trading history
Marseille has been a Mediterranean trading port for more than two thousand years and was for centuries France's gateway to the Levant trade, which included spices. Today the spice shops of the Noailles market still reflect that mix of North African, Middle Eastern and Provençal cooking.
Who uses onion and garlic here
Provence and the Marseille area have food makers producing sauces, soups, prepared vegetables and seasoning blends, and a large halal meat and ready meal sector serving the city's North African communities. Merguez, marinades and spice mixes all use garlic and onion powder or granules. Restaurants and caterers also buy minced and chopped onion. Because many local blenders make strong, spicy mixes, the more pungent Indian garlic is often a good match, but always confirm with a trial batch.
If you supply halal food makers, they may ask for a halal certificate covering the dehydrated product and the plant. Read which halal certificate buyers need and agree the certifying body before the order.
Heat and storage
Summers in Marseille are hot, and warehouses around Fos and the Étang de Berre can get very warm. Heat speeds up browning and loss of flavour in onion and garlic, and humid sea air causes caking. Avoid leaving containers on the quay in summer, store in cool, dry warehouses, and set colour and moisture limits on the spec. See shelf life of dehydrated onion and garlic.
Labels
Labels for consumer sale must be in French. Many Marseille distributors also sell into North Africa or other Mediterranean markets, so if you re-export, check each destination's labelling and residue rules separately, because EU clearance does not cover them.
Elsewhere in France
For the Le Havre route and the Paris catering trade, see our guide for Paris.
How Creston helps
We audit plants, have every lot tested at an NABL-accredited lab to EU limits, supervise loading and check documents, including halal paperwork where you need it, for one written fee agreed in advance. See our dehydrated garlic page, then book a free sourcing review.