Moroccan authorities are scrambling to contain a food safety scare after European health officials detected Hepatitis A in strawberries allegedly exported from Morocco to the EU.
The National Office for Sanitary Safety of Food Products (ONSSA) “is on alert,” sources told Hespress, as agents began inspections in farms to identify sources of the alleged contamination that led to calls for a temporary halt on Moroccan strawberry imports.
The EU activated on March 4 its rapid alert system based on a notification from Spain alerting that strawberries from Morocco with the hepatitis A virus had entered the Spanish market,
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can range from mild to severe, lasting from a few weeks to several months. While not everyone experiences symptoms, adults are more likely to than children. Symptoms typically appear within two to seven weeks of exposure and usually clear up within two months.
The investigation comes amid tensions with Spanish farmers who have accused Morocco of unfair competition. Moroccan exporters suspect the EU warning may be part of a larger struggle against their products.
Agri-focused news outlet, FreshPlaza reported that in the last year, the RASFF issued 47 health alerts for imports from Morocco, 30 of which were notified by Spain.
Morocco has a low number of pesticide residue alerts (3) in the EU’s current reporting period (2023/2024) compared to many other countries. This is even though the EU tests a significant amount of produce from within the bloc (Spain: 6 alerts, France: 2 alerts, Italy: 7 alerts). Turkey (68 alerts), Egypt (43 alerts), and India (20 alerts) all have considerably higher numbers of alerts.
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