Rabat – The Interprofessional Federation of the Poultry Sector (FISA) has reiterated safety standards in the poultry sector amid recent claims alleging unsafe practices within Morocco’s poultry production.
In a statement shared by FISA’s President Youssef Alaoui with Morocco World News (MWN), the federation stressed that the poultry sector in Morocco is a regulated industry “governed by a strict legal framework that ensures the sanitary safety of products placed on the market.”
FISA’s remarks came to challenge circulating claims on social media and messaging platforms that allege that farm owners inject chickens with substances that are not subject to sufficient control.
The claims disseminated, especially on Facebook, alleged that farm owners resort to injecting chickens whenever they sense a risk related to their poultry. This substance should not be consumed for at least 21 days after injection, a precaution that is allegedly not respected, as poultry is marketed only hours after injection.
In response, Alaoui emphasized that no unauthorized substances are used within the organized poultry sector, which operates in accordance with established health and veterinary standards.
“Law 49.99, relating to veterinary health measures and the regulation of poultry farming, stipulates that licensed farms must be monitored and supervised by contracted veterinary health professionals,” the federation’s president recalled in his statement to MWN.
He argued that veterinarians oversee farming practices, treatments, and compliance with health, safety, and biosecurity requirements.
FISA also recalled Law 27.07, which strengthens monitoring and traceability across the entire production chain, under the supervision of the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA).
Concluding its statement, the federation stresses the importance of avoiding the spread of unfounded accusations that could harm the sector’s image and unnecessarily alarm consumers.
It also calls on people circulating such claims to provide concrete evidence and clearly identify the farms concerned so that the competent authorities can conduct the necessary investigations, applying relevant laws.
“Protecting consumer health remains a top priority for professionals in the sector, who continue to work toward modernizing the industry and strengthening its professional standards,” the statement concluded.
A brief on the sector & more
FISA is the only interprofessional body representing the sector in accordance with Law 03-12 governing agricultural and fisheries interprofessions.
In 2022, Morocco registered a production of 655,000 tons of poultry meat and five billion table eggs.
FISA said this production covers 100% of national poultry meat needs, representing 55% of the total meat consumption across all types.
The sector’s infrastructure has more than 46 compound feed manufacturing plants, 54 hatchery units, three layer chick hatcheries, and 4 turkey chick hatcheries.
In 2022, the sector provided 535,000 tons of broiler chicken meat and 120,000 tons of turkey meat, with a total cumulative investment that stood at MAD 133.9 billion ($14.5 billion).
The turnover of the sector also stood at MAD 36.9 billion ($3.9 billion) in 2022. The sector also provides more than 142,000 direct jobs and 328,000 indirect jobs.
Reports also show an upward trend in 2023, with poultry production reaching 10.445 million units, an increase of 2.45% compared to the previous year.
Chicken meat production stood at 560,000 tons in 2023, representing an annual increase of 5%.
Chicken and eggs are among the most consumed products in Morocco. Recent data from FISA, released in April, show that Moroccans consumed an average of 23.6 kilograms of poultry meat per person in 2025. The number is up from 20.9 kilograms just a year earlier.
The figures mark the highest per capita consumption the country has recorded in recent years, surpassing levels registered before COVID-19. Chicken production reached 654 million tons by the end of December 2025, alongside 174 million tons of turkey.
Hatcheries produced 542 million broiler chicks and 16.6 million turkey chicks over the same period.
This makes Morocco Africa’s third-largest poultry producer behind Egypt and South Africa. Poultry accounts for approximately 55% of all meat consumed in Morocco, making it the dominant protein source for households across all income levels.
This debate over safety standards and pricing is not new. Many attribute the recent drop in poultry prices to safety challenges, while others suspect this drop is due to a decrease in demand amid dietary warnings about the risk of poultry meat.
A Tayyibat diet (gut-friendly diet) was introduced by Diaa Al-Awady, an Egyptian physician and therapeutic nutrition consultant. He gained attention as well as controversy for his Tayyebat diet, which promoted natural fats and strict food categorization.
He placed white broiler chicken, dairy, as well as fruit on the list of harmful products, a situation that made many social users link the minor drop in chicken prices and alleged reduced demand to the potential influence of the diet.
