Doha: The Food Safety Division under the Ministry of Public Health has stepped up measures to ensure food safety and quality during the FIFA World Cup. In a statement, the Ministry of Health stated that the Department of Food Safety is committed to ensuring that all food products sold, imported and locally produced in the country meet the quality standards.
The statement also pointed out that it supports the health security pillar of the Sports for Health partnership between the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. Inspection of food safety requirements includes procedures for food preparation, handling and storage, prevention of foodborne infections and diseases, and tracking sources of risk at all stages of the food chain from harvest. Implementing safe practices from the stages of processing plants or the packaging of plants for transportation until it reaches the consumer’s table is essential to food safety.
Wasan Abdullah Al Baqir, Head of Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health, said that they are working with relevant stakeholders to promote and maintain a food safety culture among all parties involved in the food supply chain. Our food safety team ensures that the imported food product meets the highest quality standards from the moment it reaches Qatar, she added.
Wasan Abdullah Al Baqir stated that the central laboratory and the branches at Hamad Port and Ruwais Port are ISO 17025 accredited and they facilitate fast and efficient security inspection and clearance of food imports into the country, Regional and Border Inspection Services US Accreditation under ISO 17025 accreditation. It was also pointed out that the office was approved.
The Ministry of Health has recently launched a new electronic food safety system called ‘VATHIK’ to reduce risks. The new system facilitates the implementation of a comprehensive food control process based on standard operating procedures subject to international accreditation regulations using three electronic linked systems namely the control system of imported and exported food, the food control system of the local market and the electronic management system of food testing laboratories.