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Following a rise in olive oil fraud cases and the seizure of shipments intended for domestic markets, Moroccan MPs and consumer protection groups have called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests to take strict measures to monitor olive oil quality and curb manipulation of this essential commodity.
Rachid Hammouni, head of the Progress and Socialism group in the House of Representatives, called for clarification of the measures the ministry intends to take to combat olive oil fraud.
In a written question, Hammouni noted that fraudulent practices affecting olive oil quality pose a risk to consumer health and are eroding trust in domestic products.
The MP said that "with the arrival of each olive-pressing season, reports resurface about fraud affecting olive oil quality among some traders, posing a risk to consumer health and undermining confidence in national products."
He added: "In recent years, a number of olive oil traders have been caught mixing the oil with other oils, or even using chemical substances to improve the colour and taste of olive oil, endangering consumer health in pursuit of quick and illicit profits."
The MP called on the government to disclose the measures it is taking, or plans to take, to combat this serious phenomenon.
Source: Al Mal Forum