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.
The Guide, prepared by the Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health of the Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with international consultants, aims at assisting the food services in Qatar with the process of compliance with Qatari laws and regulations to ensure the safety of food products.
The guide is an important step to update and document the stages of the food chain in Qatar in accordance with the latest international safe and recognized practices in this field and to facilitate all food establishments, as well as providing the highest-level of safety of food traded in the State of Qatar to ensure consumer safety.
The guide, published on the Ministry of Public Health website, in English and Hindi, provides detailed instructions on meeting mandatory legislative requirements, food hygiene and safety measures based on the HACCP approach, which will be reviewed and evaluated by the Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health inspectors during their official inspection activities. The guide also contains proposed control measures for food service establishments to ensure their compliance.
It consists of three main chapters. The first outlines the pre-requirements including establishment requirements, equipment, pest control, staff, hygiene and disinfection. The second chapter includes requirements for control processes from food preparation to displaying, packaging, data development, and sampling. The third chapter discusses the food safety requirements which include food traceability, recalls, non-compliance and complaint processing.
The Ministry of Public Health will soon be organizing a workshop on the food safety practices for food services, including food handlers, managers and owners. The Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health welcomes any feedback from food service operators on the new guide, which is expected to be enforced within one year.
The Food Safety Practices Guide for Food Services can be found on the Ministry of Public Health website www.moph.gov.qa.
