An official communication from the National Office for Food Safety (ONSA) has uncovered the presence of unsafe chemicals in a batch of red watermelons sold in major markets in Morocco, particularly at one of the country’s largest supermarkets.
According to a formal notice issued by the head of the plant products division at the regional office of the National Office for Food Safety in the Souss-Massa region, samples taken from Marjane markets in Agadir on August 1, 2023, have revealed that these watermelons contain chemicals that are not suitable for human consumption.
The communication highlights that the analysis of the samples has identified the presence of unapproved active substances in Morocco, specifically “flonicamid” and “thiacloprid.” These substances were found in the shipment of watermelons originating from the Awamara region.
In light of these findings, it was strongly recommended to immediately stop the sale of the red watermelons in the mentioned markets while further investigations are conducted.
The regional office of ONSA also demanded that its interests be able to trace the batch of melons that have been subjected to analysis, and the quantities of stocks held by the excellent market.
The National Office for Health Safety of Food Products announced that the yellow and red watermelon fruits in the national markets are safe and free of pollutants.
They also stressed that they are intensifying monitoring of watermelon fields, wholesale markets, shops, packing and storage units, whether it is related to the national product destined for internal consumption or that destined for export.
The monitoring process carried out by the office takes place throughout the production path, and it begins inside the fields, then the wholesale markets, up to the packing and storage units, where samples of watermelon are taken and sent to the laboratory to carry out the necessary analyzes that prove its quality and its absence from pollutants, such as pesticide residues.
The possibility of tracing the shipment’s path and assessing the quantities still in storage has been suggested. This may necessitate a potential recall of all watermelon batches from the same source at the brand markets.
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