The new code allows the inclusion of animal food in dog and cat food.
This development could open opportunities for wider application of rendered products in other animal feeds, according to the USDA.
The regulations are specific to animal foods imported only as raw materials for the preparation of dog and cat food, explained a USDA Gain Report.
Risk management
The Moroccan food safety authority (ONSSA) has drawn up risk management procedures for the import and use of these animal foods by the relevant establishments.
Before any importation of animal feed takes place, an ONSSA technical committee will carry out a preliminary assessment of the country of origin. This assessment includes a review of the production conditions and certification of the animal feed by the health authority of that country. Additionally, the committee will verify that the producer of the rendered product is authorized by the country of origin to export such foods to Morocco. The committee will also require a health certificate outlining the conditions for importing animal feed from the country concerned.
The ONSSA website lists countries and establishments authorized to export animal feed to Morocco.
Operators of companies authorized by the food safety authority to exclusively produce food for dogs and cats must submit their import applications to the relevant ONSSA regional directorate.
Those manufacturers must also establish a health control plan based on risk analysis, following the HACCP approach, along with a specific traceability method for imported animal foods. These procedures require prior verification of the veterinary service.
Morocco’s pet food market The
Pet ownership is growing in Morocco among the younger generation and middle- and higher-income earners, reads a Euromonitor analysis.
However, challenging economic conditions and declining disposable incomes are affecting purchasing habits. Weak economic conditions are prompting customers to replace readymade pet food products with self-prepared pet food.
Cat ownership will continue to be positive, driven by single person households, analysts report.
“Unlike dogs, cat ownership will be sustained by increasing urbanization and the greater influence of Western lifestyle in Morocco. Due to rising rates of celibacy, the number of single-person households is expected to increase, which translates into increasing cat ownership.
“The biggest threat to cat food growth though continues to be the ongoing economic recession, which will push some pet owners to trade down, or reduce their spending on prepared cat food and replace it with leftovers.”
Despite rising distribution costs and global prices, the unit price of cat food is expected to increase slightly, analysts forecast. “This is due to the popularity of low-priced local products such as Odace and Happy Cat, in addition to the growing flow of economically imported products from Turkey such as Avenal, Divinus, Reflex and Cat Plus.”
Dog food is expected to continue to perform slowly, Euromonitor said.
Dry dog food is viewed as a more convenient and economical alternative to wet dog food in Morocco, according to the market intelligence firm.
“As consumer demand for dog food shrinks, manufacturers are unlikely to apply a price increase. Instead, they reduce their margins by keeping prices as low as possible, with sporadic price discounts and offers to boost sales volume.
Pet stores and superstores remain the top distribution channels in 2024, with a significant increase in pet stores in urban areas, it found.
