Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday issued the ‘Food Safety Practices Guide for Food Services,’ in accordance with best international practices and relevant Gulf standards in the area of food safety.

The Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health at the Ministry developed the guide in conjunction with international consultants.

The guide seeks to assist food services in Qatar in adhering to Qatari laws and regulations to ensure the safety of food items.

It is a significant step to update and document different phases of the food chain in the country in line with the most recent international safe and recognized practices.

The Ministry of Public Health has issued Food Safety Practices Guide for Food Services, pursuant to the international best practices in the field of food safety and in line with the requirements of the relevant Gulf standards.#QNA pic.twitter.com/JfsmbkUmZa

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) June 7, 2021

Moreover, the guide is meant to facilitate related matters for all food establishments and also provide the highest level of safety of food traded in Qatar keeping consumer safety among the top priorities.

The guide is available on the Ministry’s website in English and Hindi and offers detailed instructions on mandatory legislative requirements, food hygiene and safety measures based on the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) approach. The Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health's inspectors will review the approach as part of their inspection visits.

Moreover, the guide includes proposed control measures for food service entities to make sure they adhere to the requirements.

There are three main chapters in the ‘Food Safety Practices Guide.’ The first highlights the pre-requirements, such as set-up requirements, equipment, pest control, staff, hygiene, and disinfection.

The second chapter covers requirements for control processes, starting from food preparation to displaying, packaging, data development and sampling.

The third chapter is focused on food safety requirements, including food traceability, recalls, non-compliance and complaint processing.

MoPH plans to hold a workshop on food safety practices for food services, which will also see the participation of food handlers, managers, and owners.

The Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health is open to any feedback from food service operators on the new guide, which is set to be enforced within one year.

The Food Safety Practices Guide for Food Services can be accessed on the MoPH website. The guide is currently available in English, Arabic, and Hindi. 

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