Morocco bans tar in food pottery over toxic health risks

Laboratory tests have found that clay utensils intended for food use and decorated with tar contain high levels of toxic chemical elements, prompting the Secretariat of State in charge of Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy to ban the use of the substance in their production.

In a circular addressed to the heads of chambers of handicrafts and regional and provincial directors, Secretary of State Lahcen Saadi said analyses carried out by a specialized laboratory on samples of tar-decorated pottery revealed high concentrations of toxic chemical elements, including aluminum, cobalt and mercury. According to the circular, these substances may pose a risk to human health when present in products intended for food use.

The Secretariat of State has therefore instructed local authorities to launch awareness campaigns targeting artisans and craftspeople in the pottery and ceramics sector, informing them of the health risks associated with the use of tar and urging them to stop using it, particularly in the manufacture of food-related utensils.