National Office for Food Safety (Morocco)
| Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des produits Alimentaires (French) المكتب الوطني للسلامة الصحية للمنتجات الغذائية (Arabic) | |
Official logo of ONSSA in Arabic, Tamazight, and French | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2009 |
| Jurisdiction | Morocco |
| Headquarters | Rabat, Morocco |
| Employees | 1,805 (Staff capacity) |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | Ministry of Agriculture |
| Website | www |
The National Office for Food Safety (French: Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des produits Alimentaires; ONSSA) is a strategic Moroccan public institution responsible for ensuring food safety and the sanitary protection of plants and animals. Established in 2009 under Law No. 25-08, it is the Moroccan equivalent of international regulatory bodies such as the FDA in the United States or the ANSES in France.[1]
Missions
ONSSA is tasked with protecting consumer health and preserving the country's animal and plant heritage. Its primary mandates involve applying government policy throughout the food chain, from raw materials to the final consumer.
- Food and Plant Safety: The office controls the sanitary quality of food products and ensures the protection of the national plant heritage. It is responsible for the homologation of pesticides and the certification of seeds and plants.[2]
- Animal Health and Biosecurity: Managing veterinary services is a core function, which includes monitoring animal movements, preventing zoonotic diseases, and registering veterinary medicines and pharmaceutical establishments.[3]
- Regulatory Oversight: The agency issues health approvals for food production units and carries out risk analyses of pathogens that could affect human or animal health.[4]
International Cooperation
ONSSA represents Morocco in the Codex Alimentarius Commission, aligning national standards with international benchmarks established by the FAO and the WHO.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Morocco: Food Safety Decree (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Agriculture. 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Moroccan National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA)". DigiComply. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Morocco strengthens biosecurity against zoonoses". Food and Agriculture Organization. 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "ONSSA supports nursery compliance in Béni Mellal-Khénifra". High Atlas Foundation. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Codex Alimentarius and ONSSA". Codex Alimentarius. Retrieved 3 February 2026.