Moroccan authorities quickly realized the implementation of the newly promulgated law “28-07 “ of food safety was beyond the capabilities of most operators of national food chain and therefore more time for fulfillment was needed. In this regard, ONSSA (Morocco supervisory organism on food safety) published a list of the tests to be performed on foodstuffs by professionals and gave them the choice to do the work themselves if there is a laboratory in their business or subcontracting to another outside. We have seen how the interference of European organizations, either directly or by middlemen, has made these people masters of the agri-food sector in Morocco (see: Legitimacy of foreign food expertise in Morocco / first part). Insofar as silence is the rule that matters to the activity of subsidiaries of foreign offices referred to in this work, the purpose of this article is to shed light on some of their practices on laboratory tests of food products. Then, see the impact of such behavior on the image of Moroccan expertise in this key sector of our economy.
The leitmotif of subsidiaries of Foreign Service providers
Almost all of these “affiliates” have a motto, invest a minimum and quickly increase profit by all possible means. Regarding the lack of seriousness of investment, they usually have an office with a secretary, a few subordinates and a specially selected responsible. These offices, probably taking advantage of a loophole in the field, offer local agribusiness companies to perform laboratory testing of their products, they say, to facilitate their export operations. They should definitely benefit from a logistic facilitation from official bodies that are posted in Morocco, such as chambers of commerce and consulates of their countries, so to reach more easily to operators likely to respond to their requests. As we know the vulnerability of this class of Morocco citizens to the issue of visas and other services appropriately codified by European countries, we can be sure that the information for the benefit of these brokers that abound in our country should run very smoothly. Once broker receives the test samples, generally they are given to him, he hands over the items to a state laboratory upon its own identity, if the circuit is well oiled and there is confidence or, failing that, under the identity of a complacent client or just a fake one. It is possible that some private laboratories are more or less in confidence with these people. The intermediary then adapts the results received on their own letterhead before submitting the certificate to the client. Their selling argument is based on the so-called “European credibility” that the documents they submit are supposed to bring to the local company. They actually are not much talkative about their work processes and remain opaque on everything related to sampling of products, transport and preservation of samples and interpretations of results. It is not excluded that, to sustain their trade under the guise of providing scientific and technical services, these brokers manage to give lenient results to the client so to keep his business under their control. Sometimes to justify their exorbitant fees, they claim perform all analysis abroad.
Reminder of some facts
For candidates wishing to pursue a career in laboratory work, the bar is set very high. This is a complex and highly standardized work. All of the operations of sampling and/or transport and/or preservation and/or testing and/or reanalysis and/or interpretation of results (sometimes using statistics) and/or preparation of analytical reports are perfectly codified worldwide by recognized rules whose violation makes laboratory documents worthless as papers thrown in the trash. In other words, the profiles of laboratory directors are expensive to prepare and do not run the streets, even in the European Union. Somehow, these brokers claim to possess skills here they do not have in their own country. Otherwise, they would have got a good job, well paid in their country of origin instead of begging left and right to control samples in countries where they despise rules. Then, when you think of the many administrative difficulties impeding Moroccan graduates to start working in the sector for which they received their degree,one is entitled to question the facility granted to third parties to do business on very sensitive niches, mentioned above, adversely affecting the perception that other African countries, who want to see Morocco as an example to follow, can have of the quality of our expertise in the field of agri-business.
Exegesis
The objective of the broker is to be seen as one who performs all laboratory operations, starting with laboratory tests and ending with analysis report and, beyond, the certification documents. Sure, it allows them to justify their expensive bills often paid in foreign currency. The total absence of information on their samples management and, in particular, where they carry out analysis of the products they receive are worrying. On a purely commercial level, one can possibly understand that these people want to be discreet about aspects of their operations. However, quality control is the last bastion before the food distribution into commerce. This is a serious act on which the prevention of hazards to consumers is largely based. It is also a work of specialists who are responsible and should definitely be protected against opportunistic mercenaries. Accordingly, the submission by a broker of certificate of analysis that refers to a sample which was given to him by the same client, that he analyzed elsewhere, with the stated aim of putting corresponding goods into trade circuit is a blatant transgression of the law and, given the potential risks all of this poses to the health of consumers, should be treated in the courts. Systematic discrediting of operations on the quality control of our products likely originates from these widespread practices that have to be stopped immediately. In addition, these people give a bad example for Moroccan candidates who wish to settle in this niche to serve their country. In fact, support an operator is show him his mistakes and how to fix them but not tell of that everything is okay with him just for monetary issues.
In conclusion, foreigners who wish to settle for serving Moroccan agro-industrial enterprises should be able to do so according to the rules in force in Morocco and in the context of reciprocity with their country of origin. They, in particular, must have pursued that profession in their own country and have solid experience of a few years. In cases where they perform their analysis in a third laboratory, they should justify a contract in due form with the latter and produce, if necessary, the original document of analysis to the competent authorities. No certification signed from abroad should be accepted unless a Memorandum of Understanding in this sense exists between Morocco and the country in question. The persons concerned must speak our language to enable them to communicate with Moroccan customers who do not speak foreign languages.Otherwise, if it is not already the case, they will have a terrible impact on the development of the expertise that Morocco is eager to have in the agri-food sector for himself and African countries that rely on us to recover their sovereignty over vital sectors of their economic independence.
