The markets in northern Morocco are facing a worrying proliferation of fraudulent olive oil . While demand is exploding with the new harvest, consumers seeking low prices are exposed to products of unknown origin, triggering a massive response from the health authorities.
The soaring prices of olive oil , which had reached peaks of 120 dirhams per liter in the last two years, finally seem to be behind us. Thanks to favorable weather conditions and a record harvest, prices have fallen by 20% to around 70 dirhams, providing a breath of fresh air for Moroccan consumers.
The liter of olive oil is now trading around 55 dirhams in Moroccan markets, a sharp drop compared to the previous season. However, this price calm is accompanied by a worrying increase in fraudulent practices, prompting consumer advocates to sound the alarm on the quality of the products in circulation.
Observers have denounced on social media the decision of oil mill owners to increase the olive pressing rate by 20 dirhams per quintal, an increase of 40%, estimating that this increase will only increase the pressure on the purchasing power of Moroccans.
Moroccan olive oil professionals denounce a practice of consumers who press the oil themselves to avoid fraud.
Rumors of the return of Moroccan shipments due to pesticide contamination prove to be false. The Interprolive federation and the National Office of Sanitary Safety of Food Products (Onssa) ensure that olive oils fully comply with health standards.
Spanish olive oil is a global reference, but its Moroccan neighbor also arouses curiosity. On a trip to Morocco, Spanish content creators specialized in gastronomy shared their surprise in tasting the local olive oil, praising its texture and flavor.
The National Office of Sanitary Safety of Food Products (ONSSA) published a clarification this Saturday, November 8, in response to rumors circulating on social networks. These claimed the alleged return of a cargo of Moroccan olive oil by a European country due to the presence of pesticide residues.
The world’s largest producer of olive oil , Dcoop, has issued a stern warning to the Spanish authorities. The group’s president, Antonio Luque, has warned that if the water crisis persists in Spain due to "poor management", production will eventually be relocated across the strait, to Morocco.
Consumer protection associations are alarmed by the proliferation of illegal practices involving the marketing of suspect olive oil, stored in unsanitary conditions each year.
Mixed inspection commissions are carrying out a series of visits to olive oil presses in the prefectures of Chefchaouen, Ouezzane and Larache. The persistent environmental threat of olive mill wastewater (OMW) is forcing action.
This year, olive oil prices are experiencing a sharp drop compared to the previous season. A blessing for Moroccans.