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Rabat – About 60 people suffered from food poisoning due to seasonal fruits in Sidi Bennour, a city 174 kilometers away from Casablanca.
A statement from local authorities said that the victims of food poisoning were admitted to the Hospital of Sidi Bennour, with preliminary data showing a consumption of seasonal fruits as a possible cause.
Several ambulances have been deployed to ensure the transfer of urgent cases that need medical care.
No information on the specific products consumed by the victims has been revealed.
The people admitted to the hospital are in stable condition, the statement said, noting that services of the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA) intervened to take samples of the concerned products to submit them for necessary laboratory analyses.
The summer season is when many seasonal fruits are consumed throughout Morocco, including watermelon, grapes, and peaches, among many others.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), raw fruits and vegetables can be sometimes contaminated with harmful germs, stressing that the safest product in those categories of foods are cooked, while the next safest are washed.
The CDC warns that people seeking to prevent food poisoning should not eat unwashed fresh produce.
“Wash or scrub fruits and vegetables under running water — even if you do not plan to eat the peel. Germs on the peel or skin can get inside fruits and vegetables when you cut them,” the CDC said, stressing that consumers should also cut away any damaged or bruised areas before eating
“Germs can more easily get into fruits and vegetables if the peel or skin is damaged or bruised,” the US public health agency added.
