In Sidi Bernoussi, twelve members of two families almost died from food poisoning. The two families, who are neighbours, point the finger at the same butter they consumed at breakfast, two days apart. All members of the two families were admitted to the emergency department of a private clinic in the same neighbourhood following food poisoning. Shortly after their arrival at the clinic, the two families were treated by the doctor who informed them that the poisoning was due to the consumption of the butter in question. According to a source close to one of the families, two days after the poisoning of the first family (last Saturday), the second case of poisoning took place, this Monday 7 April, after the family had eaten their breakfast. The members of said family felt unwell after consuming the same butter as the other family. It was first three members who felt sudden pains (two hours after consumption), before being joined by the other three members of the family. It was one of the three children who informed the neighbours that the whole family was suffering from malaise. As soon as they arrived, the neighbours noticed that the state of health of the family members was serious. According to the same sources, all members of the family were evacuated, this same Monday, by the neighbours to the emergency department of a clinic to undergo a detox treatment. For now, the lives of the two rescued families are said to be out of danger. But the fact is that there is currently great concern in Sidi Bernoussi regarding this type of food product sold in bulk and not respecting any sanitary measures. "Cases of poisoning following the consumption of this type of product are numerous. And no one intervenes to prohibit the sale of these products," they worry. One thing is certain, consumers do not stop sounding the alarm about the marketing of this type of product that does not respect any sanitary measures and endangers the health of citizens. Ouadii Madih, president of the Uniconso Association, indicated to Libé that the law prohibits the retail sale of agri-food products. "It is a very common thing. The market is flooded with products from elsewhere and which are sold in particular in bulk, in the Souks and popular neighbourhoods," he warned, before specifying: "Butter is a product very sensitive to contamination. We must absolutely respect hygiene standards. Because poor handling of this product can lead to contamination and subsequently cause poisoning of consumers. Hence this legislation, in fact, which imposes the packaging of any agri-food product that is sold at retail." The association official, who does not mince his words, specifies that "the responsibility lies with the control services, namely the ONSSA and the hygiene services at the prefecture level. They are the ones who do not do their job properly to enforce the law." Contacted by Libé, Abdellah Assouel, regional director of the National Office for Food Safety, stressed that the health services of the ONSSA have not yet been informed of this incident, adding that "the sale of any food product must be done according to the regulations. At our level, our control brigades do not stop multiplying control operations to precisely enforce the regulations in force."