The Ministry of Public Health ( MoPH) has issued the 'Food Safety Practices Guide for Food Services', in line with the international best practices in the field of food safety and the requirements of relevant Gulf standards.
The guide, prepared by the Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health at the MoPH in collaboration with international consultants, aims at assisting food services in Qatar in 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 stages of the food chain in Qatar in accordance with the latest international safe and recognised practices in this field and to facilitate related matters for all food establishments, as well as provide the highest level of safety of food traded in Qatar to ensure consumer safety, the MoPH has said in a statement.
The guide, published on the MoPH website in English and Hindi, provides detailed instructions on meeting mandatory legislative requirements, food hygiene and safety measures based on the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) approach, which will be reviewed and evaluated by the Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health's inspectors during their official inspection activities.
The guide also contains proposed control measures for food service establishments to ensure their compliance.
The 'Food Safety Practices Guide' 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 food safety requirements, which include food traceability, recalls, non-compliance and complaint processing.
The ministry will soon organise a workshop on food safety practices for food services, and will include 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 MoPH website, www.moph.gov.qa
The guide is an important step to update and document stages of the food chain in Qatar in accordance with the latest international safe and recognised practices in this field and to facilitate related matters for all food establishments, as well as provide the highest level of safety of food traded in Qatar to ensure consumer safety, the MoPH has said in a statement.
The guide, published on the MoPH website in English and Hindi, provides detailed instructions on meeting mandatory legislative requirements, food hygiene and safety measures based on the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) approach, which will be reviewed and evaluated by the Department of Food Safety and Environmental Health's inspectors during their official inspection activities.
The guide also contains proposed control measures for food service establishments to ensure their compliance.
The 'Food Safety Practices Guide' 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 food safety requirements, which include food traceability, recalls, non-compliance and complaint processing.
The ministry will soon organise a workshop on food safety practices for food services, and will include 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 MoPH website, www.moph.gov.qa