Municipalities intensify inspection on food outlets in preparedness for Ramadan
Several municipalities announced that they have stepped up their readiness for the holy month of Ramadan through conducting surveillance inspections on food enterprises nationwide. They confirmed that the objective is to ensure food safety and protect the well-being of both citizens and residents, as well as keep up with the tremendous increases in consumption during this holy month by ramping up inspections on all food and service facilities, including restaurants, kitchens, butcheries, shopping centres, and markets, in addition to Ramadan tents and recreational areas, to ensure the provision of safe and healthy food for those who are fasting. Doha Municipality steps up its surveillance plan on all food and health enterprises by carrying out almost 10,000 inspection rounds during this Ramadan and taking 298 food samples to be analysed in the government laboratory, as well as taking legal action against violators, alongside intensifying awareness efforts and dealing immediately with complaints. Director of the Control Department at Doha Municipality, Hamad Sultan al-Shahwani, asserted that an overall health surveillance plan has been devised for Ramadan to ensure heightened enforcement of laws and regulations, foremost of which is the Minister’s Decision No. (8) of 1990, on regulating human food surveillance. Emergency and complaint task forces are operating around the clock to receive tips and handle them, as well as take corrective and legal measures instantly against violators, as misdemeanours are punishable by administrative shutdown from one day to two months based on the type of regulatory offence and the hazard level of the infraction, al-Shahwani told Qatar News Agency Al Shahaniya Municipality is conducting a combined surveillance plan, including ramping up regulatory and surprise tours to food facilities and Ramadan tents for those fasting, and increasing the number of veterinarians in the Al Shahaniya slaughterhouse, collecting 30 to 40 samples daily and analysing them in the central laboratory, in addition to intensifying awareness campaigns and receiving complaints 24/7. Umm Salal Municipality prepared an inspection plan, including intensified daily surveillance inspections, sampling and laboratory testing, monitoring of cold chain, storage, and transportation, implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and HACCP systems, regulatory enforcement actions under approved standards, and public education and outreach programmes for workers and consumers. Al Daayen Municipality plan relies on two phases. The first is a pre-Ramadan preparatory phase, including preemptive inspections of food establishments and inventory of temporary food licenses and Ramadan tents.In Al Wakrah Municipality, the plan includes morning and evening inspections covering health, technical, and general oversight, with intensified inspections of food establishments, butcheries, fish markets, and live‑poultry vendors. For Al Khor and Al Dhakira Municipality, the plan focuses on ongoing field inspection tasks and veterinary oversight to ensure the safety of slaughter and fish products, dividing food establishments into surveillance zones, carrying out sampling and testing from major producers, restaurants, and butcheries, and using electronic inspection documentation systems to record violations and expedite enforcement. Al Shamal Municipality emphasises intensive inspection campaigns before and during Ramadan, co-ordinating with slaughterhouses to ensure readiness, extending work hours, maintaining continuous presence of food safety inspectors, conducting sampling and laboratory testing, and assigning inspectors to provide immediate complaint responses. In Al Rayyan Municipality, inspectors are deployed in morning and evening inspection shifts up to late night, enhancing oversight of the central market and high‑demand food establishments, and conducting ongoing food safety education and outreach programmes to ensure safe and healthy food reaches consumers.The Ministry of Municipality reaffirms its full commitment to implementing these plans according to the highest professional standards, enhancing co-ordination among municipalities to safeguard food safety and public health.