Morocco Cracks Down on Toxic Mint Scandal, ONSSA Takes Legal Action

Offense reports drawn up against the offenders and sent to the competent courts. The news is reported by the newspaper Al Massae, which thus signals a new episode in this case that continues to generate a lot of ink.

Before handing over the files of the offenders to the justice system, the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA) took care to launch a campaign of surveillance and control, through its regional services, also and above all, to destroy all the incriminated mint fields in collaboration with the local authorities.

These measures, recalls an ONSSA press release, "were taken, following the discovery by the control services of non-compliant samples with the law and the characteristics in force. The analysis results revealed the use of unauthorized pesticides in the cultivation of mint", in the main producing regions, namely Rabat, Kenitra, Tangier, Tetouan, Al Hoceima, Casablanca, Settat, Souss-Massa, Fez, Meknes, Marrakech and Safi.

In its Saturday, June 8 edition, the daily Al Massae recalls that the ONSSA services continue their mint surveillance and control program by taking all necessary measures, adding that the objective of the press release is to ensure the marketing of productions that meet food safety standards. This justifies the request made to wholesale markets and large stores to require distributors to provide analyzes confirming the food safety of the mint.

For its part, the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia of this June 8, which also mentions this situation that worries more than one consumer, indicates that "these results on toxic mint only concern the farms where the samples were taken". To return to the press release in question, the ONSS is formal: "all producers are required to use authorized pesticides, failing which they will be exposed to administrative and judicial sanctions".