Four Moroccan quality inspectors for fruit and vegetables from the EACCE (Etablissement Autonome de Contrôle et de Coordination des Exportations, Casablanca) visited the BLE (German Food Authority) from 19th to 24th of March 2017. The meeting is part of the cooperation between the two control authorities.
The program included large-scale markets, import and processing companies in Frankfurt am Main, Dannstadt-Schauernheim and Munich as well as the greenhouse production of strawberries, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in "Knoblauchsland" near Nuremberg.
The controllers of the EACCE were able to see Moroccan goods outside of Morocco for the first time and identify items they had recently checked in Morocco.
The Moroccan quality control is based on the marketing standards of the EU, UNECE and Codex Alimentarius. In Morocco, a strict zero-tolerance applies to quality deficiencies which affect the consumption, since transportation from Morocco to Germany generally takes three to four days. This period may be extended if the goods are also to be handled in Perpignan.
In assessing deficiencies, the difficulty was also discussed of reliably responding to latent or very early development errors. In these cases, the Moroccan control service is dependent on the feedback of the BLE or other EU Member States.
In the wholesale markets, some wholesalers pointed out that they wanted direct trade with Morocco, as the stop over at Perpignan was time-consuming and costly. The Moroccan colleagues will gladly pass this check on to the exporters in Morocco.
For the colleagues of the EACCE and the BLE the exchange was characterised by great openness and intense, constructive discussions.
