Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health launches food safety rating programme for food establishments

QATAR – The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in Qatar has unveiled its new Food Safety Rating Programme for Food Establishments, marking a significant step toward bolstering food safety standards nationwide.

An initiative aims to enhance compliance with food safety requirements across various food establishments in the country.

The programme enables consumers to assess how well establishments adhere to health regulations based on the results of periodic inspections.

Under the programme, food establishments are classified into six categories: Urgent Improvement Necessary, Major Improvement Necessary, Improvement Necessary, Good, Very Good, and Excellent.

The classification results are published on the “Watheq” electronic food safety system so that consumers can review them, and establishments can display their ratings on-site. The programme consists of three phases.

The first two phases have been implemented and cover hotels and restaurants in tourist areas and shopping malls.

The third phase will include all other food establishments that provide direct food services to consumers in Qatar, with implementation set to begin in the third quarter of this year.

As of 16 February 2025, a total of 1,284 food establishments have been classified under the programme. During the ceremony, Wasan Abdulla Al Baker, Director of the Food Safety Department at the Ministry of Public Health, honoured 51 establishments that received Excellent and Very Good ratings.

She thanked these establishments for their commitment to food safety. The launch event was held at the Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City.

It was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Municipality, and Education and Higher Education.

Representatives from the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Qatar Tourism, Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology, and Qatar University also attended.

Owners of restaurants and hotels in the programme’s first phase were present as well.

The implementation mechanism requires each registered establishment to undergo at least three inspection visits, with additional visits conducted regularly to ensure compliance.

The programme was developed using a risk-based inspection approach in collaboration with international consultants.

The Food Safety Department designed the programme to align establishments with food safety requirements by drawing insights from international best practices.

A two-year field study was conducted to evaluate the programme, culminating in its final design to meet Qatar’s food safety requirements and framework.

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