Morocco Considers Ban on Algerian Dates Amid Health Concerns Before Ramadan

According to the opposition deputies, Algerian dates contain carcinogenic substances due to the excessive use of pesticides, which do not comply with international standards. Based on this finding, they called on Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, to ban the import from Europe and the marketing of Algerian dates, reports the Arabic daily Assabah. They also called for legal action against any seller who conceals the origin or changes the label of Algerian dates to sell them on the Moroccan market or abroad.

As the month of Ramadan approaches, "the debate is renewed on the quality of the most consumed products during this sacred month, and at the forefront, the dates," recalled the deputy of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), Addi Chajiri, in a written question addressed to the minister. According to his explanations, Moroccan dates are much better than those imported from neighboring countries, especially Algeria, which flood the national markets and do not comply with safety and health standards. He also denounced their clandestine introduction into Morocco, through a smuggling activity passing through Mali, Mauritania and the Guergarate crossing.