For some time now, the regional press and certain national bodies have denounced the proliferation of illegal slaughter and the dangers posed by this meat, which is subject to no health inspection. People were wondering if there was a service in the Saharan provinces responsible for the health safety of food products. It took the arrival of Ramadan for the regional directorate responsible for overseeing the health of citizens in the three Saharan regions, headquartered in Laâyoune, to manifest itself and carry out its work: namely, the health inspection of products consumed by the population.

Thus, the inspection services under the regional directorate of the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA) seized and destroyed, during the first week of Ramadan, quantities of spoiled food products in the regions of Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Guelmim-Smara, and Oued Eddahab-Lagouira.

"As part of the inspection of the most consumed products during the holy month, 87 kg of red meat were seized, 58 kg of which came from illegal slaughter, as well as 42 kg of white meat, 95 litres of milk, and 330 kg of marine fishery products," explains an ONSSA press release.

The statement indicates that these inspection operations also resulted in the seizure of 350 kg of sugar and dates, in addition to 506 kg of various food products. The competent authorities also took 35 samples of these products and sent them to national laboratories to ensure their safety.

The same source highlights that the inspection operations, which covered 729 points of sale during this period, were carried out in coordination between the various services concerned. They were conducted at local markets, resulting in the collection of samples for analysis and awareness-raising actions regarding food storage, labelling, and hygiene conditions.

This campaign, the objective of which is to guarantee better consumer protection, was carried out at the level of production, processing, and handling units as well as at points of sale.

Joint commissions responsible for monitoring product quality, prices, and hygiene have been set up to preserve the purchasing power of consumers and protect them against the countless speculative practices that unscrupulous and greedy traders do not hesitate to inflict on the unwary consumer.

It should be noted that the supply of local markets in the southern provinces with essential food items has, to date, experienced no deficit and will be ensured throughout the month of Ramadan.