Nutritional labels must for food products

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced yesterday that nutrition information labels must be provided for imported food products, which are ready-to-eat or to be consumed after heating.The directive is in line with the implementation of the requirements of the GCC Technical Regulations No GSO 9/2013. The facts should include the nutritional values of the packaged food (carbohydrates, fats, protein, fibre, and energy), in addition to the values of salts, minerals, vitamins and calories. “The nutrition information label is very important as it informs consumers about the suitability of food for their needs and whether it is useful for them or not,” the MoPH explained in a statement.It was in May 2016 that the health ministry informed importers and traders about the requirements, including the nutrition information label, as a mandatory condition for allowing the entry of imported food products into Qatar. The health ministry had granted the companies and importers concerned a grace period of over seven months to modify their situation accordingly before the actual enforcement of the regulations. The first stage entails providing labels in English, and Arabic will be included later. However, the batches and consignments of imported food products without such labels will be released, after pasting a sticker that includes the necessary information, under the supervision of MoPH Food Safety and Health Department. The health ministry stressed that the first stage of implementing the regulations regarding the nutrition information label would not cover the types of food products imported for services’ companies such as those to be used at kitchens, and the preparation and manufacturing of food, in addition to the types that would not be sold in their original packages (sale in kilo or repackaging), fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh meat and fish, complete carcasses of slaughtered animals, the types in small packages with a surface of no more than 20sq cm, packaged water of various types while abiding by the approved mineral rates, and food imported for non-commercial purposes.