The Algerian brand El Mordjene Cebon, which has been the victim of an unprecedented craze on social media in recent weeks, should soon disappear from all points of sale in France. For the moment, it is still possible to find the product in a few small shops, but enthusiasts and curious people are already rushing to buy the jars before stocks run out. BFM Business takes you behind the scenes of the success of this brand, which may only be ephemeral.
• What is the reason for this sudden success of El Mordjene Cebon?
For once, it was on social media that the Mordjene Cebon phenomenon was born and grew. It has received significant media coverage in France following recommendations from influential accounts on these platforms. “Incredible”, “killer” texture, “very, very good”: on Tik Tok, influencers praise the product that is now sold at prices well above those on the market, at more than 10 euros a bottle.
Pictures of pallets full of this roasted hazelnut spread are circulating on the internet, indicating which small shop is the source of the famous paste. In the heart of Marseille, in the lively and popular district of Noailles, it is easy to find and shops even sell marijuana for 30 euros without displaying the price.
• Why is the import of this spread not authorised in France?
In fact, the European Union has banned the marketing of El Mordjene pasta.
Algeria does not meet all the conditions necessary to allow a third country to export to the European Union products containing dairy products intended for human consumption in accordance with European requirements on animal health and food safety; the import of this product is not authorised by the applicable regulatory framework,” according to the French Ministry of Agriculture.
For the president of the Algerian Association for Consumer Protection (Apoce), Mustapha Zebdi, this ban is “an abusive decision” aimed at protecting European differentials. “If measures really had to be taken, they should have been taken much earlier, because the product has been on the French market for years,” he says.
Last week, French retail giant Carrefour announced its desire to “market the famous El Mordjene beef paste within two to four weeks,” a product that is currently available in small shops but not in large retailers. Meanwhile, the prospect of an end to sales in France is causing prices to skyrocket: the jar is currently selling for more than 45 euros on Amazon, for example.
• Is market leader Ferrero involved?
The Algerian pastry owes its success in particular to its toasted hazelnut flavour, reminiscent of Ferrero products such as Kinder Bueno. Suspicions of tampering quickly weighed on the major industrialist, who reacted to AFP:
In France, the industry leader is by far Nutella, produced by Ferrero, which controls more than three-quarters of the market for spreadable chocolate in supermarkets, according to data from the industry federation (FCD). Ferrero said it sold “almost 90 million jars of Nutella in France” last year, or just under three (2.85) per second.
• What will happen to boats held at border checkpoints?
The French Ministry of Agriculture has announced the opening of an investigation “to determine the mechanisms of circumvention that may have allowed the marketing of this product until now.” “Two shipments (of El Mordjen Cebon spread, ed.) are currently blocked at French border checkpoints,” according to the same source, both at the port of Marseille and at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, according to the export director of the Algerian company Amine Ouzlifi.
When asked by BFM Business, neither the Ministry of Agriculture, nor the veterinary and phytosanitary inspection service, nor the customs services were able to tell us whether the pots would be returned to the sender or destroyed. “No decision has been taken on the fate of the goods,” estimates the regional customs directorate of Marseille, which specifies that “the blockage is due to a decision by the health services and not by customs.”
Source: BFM TV
