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Food Regulations and Enforcement in Qatar

Chapter · January 2018

DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22478-5

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From Eltai, N.O., El-Obeid, T., Kassem, I.I., Yassine, H.M., 2018. Food Regulations and
Enforcement in Qatar. Reference Module in Food Science. Elsevier, pp. 1–4. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22478-5
ISBN: 9780081005965
© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Academic Press
 Author's personal copy

Food Regulations and Enforcement in Qatar

Nahla O Eltaia, Tahra El-Obeidb, Issmat I Kassemc, and Hadi M Yassinea, a Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha,
Qatar; b Human Nutrition Department, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; and c Department of Nutrition and
Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut, Lebanon
© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction 1
Food Safety Stakeholders and National Strategies in Qatar 1
Food Regulations in Qatar 2
General Food Management and Inspection Procedures 3
Food Safety Awareness 4
References 4

Introduction

Similar to most countries in the region, Qatar relies on imports from more than 60 nations to satisfy more than 80% of its food
requirements. This leaves the food sector in Qatar exposed to a variety of risks, such as food shortage, contamination, and economic
unsustainability, which are associated with unreliable supply chains and unstable prices in the global food market. The latter
is compounded by the national needs of a rapidly growing population which pose an increasing strain on food inspection
services and port authorities to adequately manage and pre-emptively control the threat of potential outbreaks associated with
contaminated food imports. However, Qatar has strategically adopted food safety objectives that seek to provide education and
raise awareness among the public on the health risks associated with consuming unsafe food. The focus of these objectives is
the generation of a strong hierarchical food safety culture among all stakeholders throughout the food supply chain (https://
phs.moph.gov.qa/data/food-safety/).
Qatar has a well-established indicator surveillance system of communicable diseases that covers the majority of governmental
and private health facilities. In addition, Qatar is in the process of adopting an early warning and response system, which is
an evidence-based surveillance system that complies with international health regulations as mandated by the World Health
Organization. Regardless, Qatar experiences foodborne outbreaks and sporadic cases every year, which are associated with a variety
of causative microorganisms, including E. coli, non-typhoidal Salmonella, Campylobacter, norovirus, and others. The number of
reported cases of food poisoning had risen steadily at the beginning of the century, which might have been be due to globalization
of food trade and increased tourism and population growth. The latter has been driven by a continuous influx of diverse expatriates
that currently represent more than 80% of the population (Communicable Diseases Control Framework (Draft) Qatar, January
2015). However, continuous improvement in the food chain, sanitation, reporting of communicable diseases, and implementation
of effective control measures by the communicable diseases unit in the Ministry of Public health have combined to result
in decreasing the rate of infections generally. For example, from 2004 to 2006, a consistent increasing trend in incidences of
salmonellosis (per 100,000 individuals) in Qatar was observed, while reports of salmonellosis comparatively decreased between
2007 and 2010 and notably plateaued between 2011 and 2012. However, like in other countries, underreporting of foodborne
infections remains an issue that requires further attention in Qatar (Elmoubasher et al., 2016).

Food Safety Stakeholders and National Strategies in Qatar

Monitoring of food safety standards is the responsibility of several parties, including the Ministry of Public Health [MOPH], the
Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Economy and Trade, Hamad Medical
Corporation [HMC], and the Primary Health Care Corporation [PHCC]. Since the food safety system is engaged by multiple
agencies/stakeholders, Qatar has been aiming to establish a ‘single’ food safety authority (FSA) as the sole regulator for managing
food safety from ‘farm to fork’ which will provide the highest level of consumer protection. The FSA will work on clarifying roles
among government agencies and stakeholders involved in food safety monitoring.
Currently, the Department of Public Health (DPH), a part of the Ministry of Public Health, engages most functions related to
food safety. The DPH, in coordination with the General Organization for Standards and Metrology and the Ministry of Economy &
Commerce (MOEC), is responsible for establishing food safety regulations. Additionally, the National Food Safety Committee
(FCC) decides on all food safety and control issues, including import bans. The FCC is an interagency committee headed by
the Assistant Undersecretary of Ministry of Public Health for Technical Affairs and includes representatives from DPH, the Doha
Municipality, and the Agricultural Development Department.
Qatar has established the Central Food Laboratories (CFL) in the early 1970s. The CFL operates under the MOPH, and the
quality assurance system of the CFL was streamlined to fulfill the requirements of the international standards ISO/IEC

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2 Food Regulations and Enforcement in Qatar

17025:2005 in 2013. The CFL aims to i) increase the customer satisfaction level and ensure the highest quality of food in the local
market, ii) maintain proper laboratory standards, iii) train professional staff, iv) establish new research units, sub-units and
laboratory branches, and v) facilitate the propagation of knowledge via encouraging relevant publications (https://www.moph.
gov.qa/about-us/Pages/food-safety-n-environmental-health.aspx).
A key focus for all stakeholders in Qatar is the promotion of a strong food safety culture across the supply chain. This will be
achieved via the following initiatives:

• Strengthening public awareness to food hazards and health risks associated with the consumption of unsafe foods by various
effective forms of modern mass media communication channels.
• Strengthening the capacities of the food safety management system to deliver services aligned to international best practices in all
important operational areas, including in inspection, monitoring, surveillance and regulation
• Developing an integrated and certified risk-based inspection service to fulfill relevant international standards such as ISO/IEC
17020:2012 for imported, locally produced, and exported food products. These services must be supported by modern elec-
tronic management systems and effective diagnostic services and surveillance systems.
• Promoting food safety culture among all parties involved in the food supply chain through effective public-private sector
partnership programs that aim to develop a sense of awareness and responsibility in managing food safety (https://phs.moph.
gov.qa/data/food-safety/)

Food Regulations in Qatar

Over the years, several laws related to food and food establishments were introduced in the State of Qatar; these mainly include:

• Law No. 8 (1990): This law organizes and controls human foods and the process of food trade in the State of Qatar and sets
associated penalties and fines. The law is composed of six chapters, namely:
First chapter: Definition and general ruling (Article 1–4)
Second chapter: Authorities concerned in implementation of the law and their cognate jurisdictions (Article 5–8)
Third chapter: Regulation of food control and trade (Article 1–4)
Fourth chapter: Procedures of sampling and seizures and associated actions that cover seized materials (Article 9–18)
Fifth chapter: Crimes and penalties (Article 19–23)
Sixth Chapter: Final rulings (Article 24–32).
• Law No. 4 (2014): This law amended certain provisions of Law No. 8. The new resolutions bestowed on the Ministry of
Municipality and Urban Planning, the Supreme Council of Health, and the Qatar General Authority for Standardizations and
Metrology the ability for judicial enforcement on offences that violate Law No. 8. This includes the power to shut down
institutes/stores and to post signage on the premise to indicate violations of human food regulations.
One of the main features addressed by the law is labeling requirements, which are:
1 Food labels must include the following information on the original label or primary package:
- Product and brand name
- Country of origin
- Ingredients, in descending order of proportion
- Additives, if any
- Origin of animal fat (e.g., beef fat), if applicable
- Net content in metric units (volume in case of liquids)
- Production and expiry dates
- The name and address of the manufacturer, producer, distributor, importer, exporter or vendor should be declared on the label
- Special storage, transportation and preparation instructions, if any.
2 Animal fat should be sourced only from Halal slaughtered animals. Pork products are banned in Qatar.
3 Original labels should be printed in Arabic. However, bilingual labels are permitted.
4 Day/month/year for products with a shelf life of 3 months or less.
5 Day/month/year or month/year formats for products with a shelf life longer than 3 months.
6 The expiration date must be printed in one of the following formats:
Expiration (date), Use by (date), Use before (date), Sell by (date), Fit for (duration) from the date of production.
7 Production/expiratory dates are not required for certain products, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
8 Production dates alone are sufficient for products deemed to have extremely long shelf-life durations, such as salt, white sugar,
spices and condiments, tea, rice and dried pulses.
Other important regulations include:
1 Packaging and Container Regulations: GS 839/1999 addresses “General Requirements for Food Packages – Part I”. This standard
stresses the need to use suitable materials that protect the integrity of the food, its wholesomeness and characteristics. GSO 1683/
2008, “Food Packages - Part II” was issued to address general requirements for plastic packaging.

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Food Regulations and Enforcement in Qatar 3

2 Food Additives Regulations. Qatar enforces a number of other standards governing the use of additives in a variety of food
products. For example, QS 19/2001 regulates additives used in vegetable oils and fats while QS 356, 357, 381, 577, 578 and 1018
regulate other food additives. These regulations are in line with the Codex Alimentarius standards for food additives.
3 Pesticides and other contaminants regulations are based on Codex Alimentarius standards. Specifically, QS 382/1996 and QS
383/1996 regulate pesticide and other contaminant residues in food products.
The pesticide residues list, as is the food additives list, is a positive list; meaning that approved pesticides with tolerance levels are
identified.

• Law No. 17 (2005): organizes settlements in the crimes postulated in the laws of the municipality, and it regulates the violations
of health requirements in restaurants.
Other relevant laws and Guidelines:

• Law No.14 (2003) on Veterinary Quarantine’s

• Law No.24 (2005) on Agriculture Quarantine
• Law No.11 (2010), which amends certain provisions of Law No. 4 (1983) on the Exploitation and Conversation of Living
Aquatic Resources in Qatar
• The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Guide for the control of imported foods: The Ministry of Public Health in Qatar
announced the implementation of the GCC Guide for the control of imported foods in April 2017. The implementation was
slated to become mandatory starting October 2017. The guide aims at achieving the highest standards of food safety and
facilitates the movement of international food trade using the best practices in the Gulf area.

General Food Management and Inspection Procedures

Regulations mandate that all new-to-market processed food products are subject to laboratory analysis. In addition, imported foods
(shipments) that have passed the initial testing will be subjected to additional laboratory analysis after six months. A product that
did not pass an inspection will be thoroughly examined on subsequent shipments for an undisclosed length of time.
Import of alcoholic beverages and products containing alcohol is restricted to one organization. The government strictly controls
the sale of alcoholic beverages. Advertising of these beverages is prohibited.
All meat and poultry products must be accompanied by an Islamic (Halal) slaughter certificate issued by an approved Islamic
center in the country of origin. Poultry and meat products are routinely tested for Salmonella. If Salmonella is detected in more than
20% of the tested samples, the shipment will be rejected.
Food products do not require registration or an import permit. However, specialty foods, such as diet, health, and infant foods,
require a special import/sales permit issued by a joint committee of representatives from the Food Control Division, Public Health
Department (PHD), and the Pharmacies and Medicines Control Department, National Health Association (NHA). The importer is
responsible for obtaining this permit. Importation of irradiated food products is permitted, but the product’s label must clearly
indicate that it has undergone this treatment.
Qatar’s municipality inspectors randomly check food products in wholesale and retail markets. In addition, to the visual
inspection of labels, samples are collected and analyzed to ensure product ingredients match those listed on the label. Local
inspections are unscheduled. If a discrepancy is found, the product is removed from the market and destroyed at the importer’s
expense after notification.
Other Specific Standards for imported food samples are not subject to special requirements. Samples destined for food shows
and other types of promotional events are exempt from regulations covering labeling and shelf life. A health certificate and an
invoice noting that the product is not for sale and is of no commercial value must accompany these samples.
Considering that more than 80% of food supplies in Qatar are imported, the MOPH has established a food importer guide to
facilitate food importation and to ensure the entry of proper food supplies to the nation (Port Health and Food Control Section,
2017).
The provisions of the aforementioned Law No. 8 and associated Law No. 4 bestow on the Ministry of public Health, Port
Health and Food Control Section, the authority to inspect, monitor, and control (destruction of food deemed unfit for human
consumption) imported food. This section has also authority to ban infected foods and provides guidance to food importers on
cognate procedures, specifications and standards. The section oversees all imported food, including fruits, vegetables, spices,
meat and meat products, milk, and fish that arrive to Qatar from all over the world.
MOPH does not require a prior approval for food importation, but it mandates that the imported products must comply with
Qatar standards and requirements. Qatar Technical Regulations and Standards can be divided into two groups: the first group
includes general requirements for all types of food, which includes Qatar Technical Regulation no. QS 9 (labeling requirements),
Qatar Technical Reregulation No. QS 2500 (list of permitted additives), Qatar Technical Regulation No. QS 150 (mandatory
expiration dates for food products), while the second group determines the specific requirement for each type of food.
The ministry is currently working on a product registration system, which will be activated shortly. With this system, it will be
required to register products before importation. This will facilitate best food control practices. More information about
requirements and regulations for food importation can be found at https://www.moph.gov.qa/health-services/Pages/port-health-
and-food-control.aspx.

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4 Food Regulations and Enforcement in Qatar

Before the siege on Qatar in June 2017, most food products were imported via trucks from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi
Arabia. Currently, alternative routes include the sea port and air transportation and mainly engage fresh fruits and vegetables and
chilled meat. Fresh products are usually cleared within 24 hours of arrival, while most other food products are cleared within two to
three days. Rejected consignments for health/quality reasons are returned to the country of origin or destroyed within maximum of
two weeks. For imported foods of animal origin, the Qatar Embassy or Consulate in the exporting country must notarize halal
slaughter and issue country of origin certificates. It is important to note that health certificates are required for all food products.
Products denied entry due to minor labeling infractions may later be cleared upon appeal to the Food Control Section. However,
labeling infractions that are deemed serious will result in rejection of a shipment with little chance of a successful appeal. Serious
labeling infractions include label tampering, missing or incorrectly printed production/expiry dates and dates printed on stickers
rather than the original label/packaging.

Food Safety Awareness

Food safety awareness is considered one of the main pillars in the regulation of food facilities and establishments. Published
awareness guidelines help to provide stakeholders in this sector with information on correct methods and healthy conditions
that must be followed during food handling. This reduces the incidences that lead to food poisoning and diseases transmission.
The programs of food safety awareness, which are provided by the team of public awareness in the Municipality and Urban
Planning Ministry, target several sections of the society, including workers in food establishments, officials, school students and
housewives.

References

Elmoubasher, F., Humberto, G.G., Nandakumar, G., et al., 2016. A retrospective epidemiological study on the incidence of salmonellosis in the State of Qatar during 2004–2012.
Qatar Med. J. 2016 (1), 3.
Ministry of Public Health, Qatar. https://phs.moph.gov.qa/data/food-safety/.
Port Health and Food Control Section, 2017. Food Importers Guide. Ministry of Public Health, Qatar. https://www.moph.gov.qa/health-services/Pages/port-health-and-food-
control.aspx.

Reference Module in Food Science, 2018, 1–4

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