A few days ago a woman and her daughter died from botulinum toxin poisoning. ONSSA (National Office for the Safety of Food Products) has issued two press releases, see here and here, praising, against common sense, the work of the company to the product complained of without naming it! The press reported the name of KOUTOUBIA, leader of the deli meats based on “Mechanically separated meat” (VSM) in Morocco, as the manufacturer of the product in question.
It is interesting to note that, contrary to habit, the above-mentioned ONSSA press releases were written this time in Arabic only. It is likely that if there was a French translation, the chances would have been great those African readers would be informed and that this idea does not correspond to the good image that Morocco would like to give on the Green Morocco Plan to the continent. Would ONSSA have yielded to political pressure to disrupt its usually bilingual press releases? What is certain is that the guardianship body has been set up to ensure the safety of food consumed by humans and animals. Praising a company whose product caused the deaths of consumers is simply mind-boggling. Personally, I am used to the low-end work of this organization (see different articles on this blog). Indeed, for nearly 25 years now that I work as expert witness, comprising hundreds of legal assessments for various courts of the Kingdom; I can say that many responsible of Repression of fraud, of which I had the opportunity to observe the actions, some of which are perhaps now draped from the cover ONSSA, are simply not up to the demands of this type of mission. The question that arises is why these services in particular, unlike other government departments, have not benefited from an upgrade? It is difficult to answer this question given the sensitivity and scope of food control. But Morocco is usually quick to implement upgrading operations if it receives criticism from European bodies on a particular service or organization. It is true that the Europeans (some in any case) directly and indirectly rent the services of those responsible for ONSSA whereas we as Moroccans observe that the performances of ONSSA are below mediocrity. This leads to the following question: Why the heck, Europeans are so complacent with ONSSA and its affiliates. There is no evidence and there is a risk of smear. Now, if we consider another point of view, we realize that without certification from our neighbors in the North, we cannot export to the European market, by far the leading market for Moroccan and African agri-food products in general. Reading in the other direction, this indicates that the credibility of the ONSSA “accreditation” is at zero level for the clients on the other side of the Mediterranean shore. The loop is closed: what weakens the credibility of ONSSA, favors that of other European private actors who in many cases take advantage of it to rip off our local operators. There are many examples that support this reality.
According to information from direct sources, some cooperatives experience big difficulties with a European certifier who has managed to impose itself by a ministerial decree (a calamity!) and got a monopoly on certification under the Field of the “BIO” in Morocco. Regularly, the food products of these cooperatives, certified by that body, are blocked at the entrance to certain European markets, pending the production of the health certificates relating to the products in question. And each time, the certifier concerned takes weeks or even months to issue this type of regulatory document. It should be borne in mind that the “BIO” or “Terroir” certification or other qualifier of this kind does not prejudice the sanitary quality of the product which is regulated by Law 28-07, which provides for penalties In the event of breach of the law. Now these “certifiers” are in Morocco and Africa to make money without any risk, as is the case for certifications called “BIO”. Precisely, another of these European certifiers had contacted me some time ago to ask me if I wanted, on the basis of the analytical data that he would send me, to write an Analysis Bulletin (BA) and sign it against payment. I refused, of course, because this practice is unprofessional or even fraudulent in the eyes of the regulations in force. But these people eventually find a professional “good apple” to perform the job as they ask. This gives them judicial cover and allows them, in the case of the blocked cooperatives mentioned above, to issue a BA to foreign customs in peace.
It seems that the Moroccan government has not yet decided to make the upgrading of ONSSA structures a priority. Perhaps these poisonings with successive deaths of innocent consumers will persuade him to give a cleanup of the modus operandi followed until now by this “Authority”.
