ONSSA Takes Immediate Action Over Food Safety Violation

Morocco reacted immediately to an alert issued by the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) concerning the presence of the Methomyl pesticide in watermelons exported to Spain, reported Spanish news outlets.
Morocco’s food safety watchdog ONSSA launched an investigation and was able to identify the source land and take action by suspending sanitary permits for both the packing station and the exporter.
This contamination concerns a single shipment of watermelons. Methomyl is an n-methyl carbamate insecticide used to control foliage and soil-borne insect pests on many types of food and feed crops, including field vegetables and orchard crops. It is highly toxic for humans, livestock, pets, and wildlife.
Since early 2023, Morocco has recorded only five RASFF alerts linked to its fruits and vegetables, out of a total of 497 alerts from all over the world.