HIBAPRESS
Ali Chtour, President of the Moroccan Association for the Defense of Consumer Rights, which operates under the umbrella of the Moroccan University for the Defense of Consumer Rights, called for stricter monitoring of "street food" and vigilance when purchasing ready-made meals from street vendors.
Chtour explained, in a statement to the newspaper “HIBAPRESS”, that there is a spread of some carts that fry fish and potatoes (fries) inside informal markets and some streets, in conditions that sometimes lack the health and hygiene conditions stipulated in the laws in force." The speaker reminded of the provisions of Law No. 28.07 related to the health safety of food products, as well as Law No. 31.08, which determines measures to protect the consumer, stressing that these legal texts "emphasize the need to respect hygiene conditions, ensure the quality of products, the clarity of their source, and the safety of the materials used in their preparation, to protect the health and rights of the consumer." The president of the association noted with concern "the possibility of using unknown or excessively used oils in the frying process for the sake of profit, even at the expense of the consumer's health," in addition to "offering fish products that may lack quality or proper storage conditions," considering that this "may pose a risk to public health, especially for those who are fasting and who need healthy and balanced food after a day of fasting." Chtour called on citizens to "be cautious and careful when purchasing ready-made meals from street vendors, and to ensure the availability of hygiene conditions and the quality of products before purchasing, while avoiding being swayed by low prices that may hide materials that are unfit for consumption," stressing the importance of "being armed with consumer culture as an individual and collective responsibility." He also directed an appeal to the competent authorities to intensify monitoring during the holy month, to protect the health of citizens and ensure respect for the laws regulating health safety and consumer protection, highlighting that "the health of the citizen is a trust, and the responsibility is shared between the consumer, the professional, and the supervisory authorities, and it is necessary to establish a conscious consumer behavior that preserves the safety of individuals and their families."
