A food safety assessments system has been unveiled in Qatar to guarantee safe food for residents and to prevent food transferred diseases.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health officially launched the Food Safety Rating Program for Food Companies.
The initiative is intended to improve compliance with food safety rules at various food companies in the country. The program enables consumers to assess the extent to which sites adhere to the health regulations, based on the results of inspections.
Out dishes are divided into six categories: “Urgent improvement required”, “great improvement required”, “Improvement required”, “good”, “very good” and “excellent”.
Urgent improvement requires that the establishment does not meet the food safety standards and immediate corrective measures are required due to a high level of risk. Excellent means that the outlet fully meets all standards.
Results are published on the “WHEHEQ” electronic food safety system, so that consumers can view them, while branches can also display their score on site.
A good assessment can be achieved by following best practices for food preparation, cleaning and disinfection, construction maintenance, food storage and general hygiene. Companies must ensure that food dealers pass an exam for food safety.
The program consists of three phases, with the first two already in place, about hotels and restaurants in tourist areas and shopping centers. The third phase includes all other branches that offer direct nutrition services to consumers in Qatar, with the implementation that starts in the third quarter of this year. From mid -February 2025, 1,284 food companies were assessed under the program.
Food safety
During the official launch, Wasan Abdulla Al Baker, director of the Food Safety Department of the Ministry of Health, 51 branches that had received “excellent” and “very good” assessments and expressed her gratitude for their dedication to food safety.
“The official launch of the food safety program for food companies is an important step to achieve the highest levels of compliance with global health and safety standards, which contributes to improved food safety and protection of public health in Qatar. We hope that this classification system will encourage food companies to continuously improve their performance and adhere to the regulations for food safety, “she said.
The system is designed to promote transparency in the food safety sector by classifying points of sale based on technical standards and requirements. The aim is to increase the consciousness of the consumer and to strengthen confidence in the quality of food products by providing information about the level of compliance.
The program requires that every registered food company undergoes at least three inspections, with additional visits that are carried out to guarantee compliance. Establishments are usually inspected every two to six months. The system was developed using a risk -based inspection approach with the help of international consultants.
If a food company does not agree with its assessment, it can submit an appeal within 15 days of the inspection report.
The news agency of Qatar also reported this week that politicians have approved a draft decision to determine the General Food Safety Authority in Qatar.
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