The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has initiated a comprehensive five-year plan to monitor and control various food contaminants, aligning with the World Health Organization’s Global Food Safety Strategy 2022-2030. The plan’s implementation began in early 2024, focusing on analyzing data from over 30,000 samples and 400,000 test results collected during 2023–2024. This analysis aims to prioritize monitoring and surveillance programs for potential food contaminants in Qatar.
Key components of the plan include preparing and publishing a report on pesticide residues in imported and locally grown vegetables and fruits. This initiative was achieved through collaboration between the inspection and food safety laboratories sections of the Food Safety Department. The findings were presented to the food risk management team at the Ministry, which issued recommendations for implementing preventive measures to ensure the highest levels of safety for vegetables and fruits available in Qatar. Other monitoring programs assess salt levels in bread and microbial contaminants in fish sold in central markets.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Municipality, the MoPH has developed a monitoring plan for veterinary drug residues in livestock slaughtered in Qatar. The plan includes a survey launched on December 1, initially targeting commercial abattoirs (Al Wakra Central Slaughterhouse, and the abattoirs in Umm Salal and Al Khor) over a three-month period. The second phase, focusing on veterinary drug residues in livestock at private abattoirs, will follow for another three months.
These monitoring and surveillance activities are conducted in line with the highest global practices, adopting a risk analysis approach. This approach ensures that risk management and decision-making are grounded in scientific evidence derived from monitoring and risk analysis activities. The systems serve as the first line of defense against food-related risks, enabling swift responses and effective management of food incidents, thereby reducing exposure to foodborne pathogens.
The MoPH emphasizes that food safety is a shared responsibility and continues to enhance cooperation with strategic partners to ensure the highest standards of food safety in Qatar.
