Doha: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry have signed a collaboration agreement in the field of food safety.
The agreement was signed by Assistant Minister of Public Health for Health Affairs Dr. Saleh Ali Al Marri and Director General of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi.
The signing of the agreement comes as a realization of the principle of partnership and cooperation between the public and private sectors in order to achieve the public interest, particularly in the areas of local and imported foods compliance, public awareness of food safety, organizing training and conducting tests.
The agreement is the result of the continuous cooperation between the Ministry and the Chamber, and the realization of both sides of the nature of the risks associated with food as being multiple, renewable, and extending across the food chain. Therefore, establishing partnerships between all parties concerned with food safety will have a significant impact on achieving the highest possible level of food safety on the one hand, and facilitating the movement of trade in foodstuffs on the other hand.
Assistant Minister of Public Health for Health Affairs Dr. Saleh Ali Al Marri said that the agreement comes within the framework of the Ministry's efforts to enhance food safety in the State of Qatar through cooperation with all partners, to ensure maintaining the application of the best international criteria in this field.
Dr. Al Marri added that the agreement includes many important areas and frameworks of cooperation between the Ministry of Public Health and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, most notably are the cooperation between the two sides in the special events requiring exceptional measures such as hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, food exhibitions and other events, as well as providing the technical expertise for food sector in order to help develop, modernize and overcome challenges to break into the international market.
Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Director General of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed his happiness at signing this agreement between the Chamber and the Ministry of Public Health. He said that the agreement reflects the keenness of the Chamber and the Ministry to enhance cooperation regarding food safety. Qatar Chamber will supervise the training and testing of food handlers and those responsible for handling food stuffs, within the controls agreed upon with the Ministry of Public Health, and with the aim of achieving the highest level of safety.
Al Sharqi pointed out that the Chamber and the Ministry of Public Health cooperate in other various fields related to the private sector, as there is a joint committee composed of the two sides that holds periodic meetings to discuss all private sector issues related to the scope of work of the MOPH.
According to the agreement, the cooperation between the Ministry of Public Health and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the field of local and imported foods compliance will be through exchanging information and circulating it to manufacturers and importers with the aim of applying the requirements with the necessary speed and accuracy. This will also include evaluating the impact of the legislation on stakeholders before making decisions, legislation and enforcement. In addition to exchanging experiences between the two parties.
The agreement included many important terms, most notably is the cooperation in the field of training and testing food handlers and those responsible for handling food stuffs. It includes also a program launched by the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that workers in various food facilities have the required knowledge of food safety principles. The program is a part of a one-year project by Qatar Chamber, where it took the initiative by applying the practical training and testing via specific and clear controls that were agreed upon between the two sides and set within the terms of this agreement.
