Food handlers need to pass MoPH tests to get work permits in Qatar

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), in co-operation with Qatar Chamber (QC) and Qatar Tourism, has launched a training programme on the certification and authorisation of food handlers.
This came in conjunction with the celebration of World Food Safety Day on June 7.
The programme aims to oblige all food handlers and their supervisors at food facilities to obtain permits from MoPH to practise their work after passing the placement tests, the ministry has said in a statement.
The MoPH began introducing the programme two years ago, when introductory sessions were organised with food institutions and companies at Qatar Chamber, and the scientific material of the programme was prepared and published on the MoPH website.
Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, director of the Public Health Department, said the ministry co-operates with Qatar Chamber and Qatar Tourism to implement the programme, believing in the importance of educating food handlers and their supervisors on ensuring food safety and thus contributing to enhancing the level of public health.
The MoPH had signed an agreement with QC in food safety as a realisation of the principle of partnership and co-operation between the public and private sectors in order to achieve the public interest, particularly in the areas of local and imported foods compliance, public awareness of food safety, organising training and conducting tests.
Mohamed Ahmed al-Ubaydali, chair of the Food Security & Environment Committee at QC, stressed that the Chamber responded to the ministry's initiative and adopted the practical aspect of the programme related to the logistical part. This was done by providing rooms equipped for tests conducted within specific and clear controls that were agreed upon by the two parties and framed within the terms of the memorandum of co-operation signed with the MoPH, based on QC's belief that food safety is a shared responsibility among all relevant parties.
Maryam al-Srour, Qatar Chamber Food Handler Programme team leader, said the memorandum signed between the MoPH and QC facilitated the permit procedure, as the representative of a food establishment must register on the Qatar Chamber platform, book a date for the test and fill in the required data, accompanied by the relevant documentation, provide proof that s/he has received the training required for the level of test provided, or an official book from the facility explaining the test applicant's competence.
She added that upon successful completion of the test, the results are issued and made available on the electronic test system directly to the applicant. The validity of the food handling permit is three years, renewable under conditions set by the MoPH.
Omar al-Jaber, director of Shared Services at Qatar Tourism, said: "We are pleased to collaborate with the Ministry of Public Health and Qatar Chamber to launch the training programme for food handlers, as part of our continuous efforts with our industry partners to provide the bests services to visitors to Qatar.
"Over the past few years, Qatar Tourism has launched a similar initiative with the Ministry of Public Health, 'Qatar Clean', which aims to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and sterilisation are followed at hotel facilities that are accredited by Qatar Tourism."
Wassan Abdullah al-Baker, director of the Food Safety and Environmental Health Department at the MoPH, said a multi-phase plan has been prepared to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the programme.
The implementation of the programme has been initiated through the pilot phase, which included a group of hotels hosting teams and official delegations during the 2021 Arab Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup as part of the efforts of the MoPH, Qatar Chamber and Qatar Tourism to ensure the highest level of food safety for consumers, especially that Qatar will host many international sport events in the coming years,
She added that the number of food handlers who participated in the pilot phase reached 1,046, and the success rate in the test during this stage was estimated at an average level. This required submitting recommendations to enhance the training of workers to improve and raise the level of public hygiene and health requirements among workers and food handlers because of its direct impact on the safety and quality of meals provided.
The first phase of the project, which has been announced now as part of the celebration of World Food Safety Day, extends to June 2024 in co-operation with Qatar Tourism. It includes all hotels and restaurants in tourist areas.
This phase was announced during a ceremony honouring food facilities whose handlers passed the tests during the pilot phase period in order to motivate other food facilities to join the project and register their food handlers to obtain permits.
The second phase of the programme will be launched in July 2024. The details of this phase will be announced later, as the Ministry of Public Health and its partners have prepared an action plan to circulate the programme among all food facilities - and of all kinds - in Qatar.
To facilitate the implementation of the programme, food facilities are responsible for training food handlers they wish to register to obtain the permit. The Food Safety and Environmental Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health also prepared the training materials of the programme and published them on its website in 2022 in Arabic and English. Work is currently under way to publish the programme in five other languages, taking the total to seven languages.
The department also provided two levels of tests depending on the nature and type of permit required. The first level concerns food handlers, while the second one pertains to food handling supervisers.
Regarding the permits of food handlers, the MoPH provided three different permits according to the tasks of food handlers (food handling superviser, food handler and worker).
The procedures for obtaining the permit have also been facilitated, as the representative of the food facility must register on the Qatar Chamber platform and the electronic system for food safety, Watheq, fill in the required information, attach the required documents and provide proof of obtaining the necessary training for the required test level or an official letter from the facility showing the competence of the test’s applicant.
After successfully passing the test, the results are issued and available on the electronic system, and the validity period of the food handling permit is three years, which will be renewable according to the conditions determined by the MoPH.
The ministry has encouraged food facilities to join the programme, especially since it will become mandatory starting from June 2024. The MoPH has also stressed the need to train working food handlers, as many studies around the world have proven that food safety and compliance with health requirements at food facilities are directly related to the awareness of food handlers about the principles of food safety and hygiene.
In addition, the training of workers has positive effects on the facility, including reducing violations, penalties and waste of resources.
The ministry seeks to improve the level of food safety by following more than one scientific method and approach according to the best international practices in this regard. In addition to partnering with Qatar Chamber and Qatar Tourism, the MoPH Food Safety and Environmental Health Department is working on signing memorandums of understanding with the competent authorities in food-exporting countries and has obtained international accreditations for all its inspection and analysis activities.