The laboratory tests conducted recently by the ONSSA have revealed the compliance of the Moroccan watermelon to the standards of food safety, said the office in a statement, stressing that the results of samples analyzed as part of the monitoring plan and control of watermelon during the current crop year (year 2021), have revealed the absence of contaminants in this fruit, namely residues of pesticides, heavy metals (lead and cadmium) and bacteria (salmonella and coliform).

The ONSSA implements annual plans for monitoring and control of fruits and vegetables, including watermelon, which consist mainly in the search for pesticide residues in these products at the level of farms, wholesale markets, supermarkets and packaging stations.

In addition, added the same source, imported seeds are subject to a systematic technical and phytosanitary control at border inspection posts, to ensure compliance with standards and specifications in force at the national level, before allowing their admission for marketing.

The early production of watermelons is mainly explained by the climatic conditions of some production regions nationally, which are characterized by high temperatures from the first months of the year, as well as by the use of good production practices.