File photo of a fish market used for reference
Doha: The Ministry of Municipality has unveiled safety measures for perishable food commodities, including fish, meat, fruits and vegetables to ensure public health.
The safety standards, shared by the Ministry on its Twitter handle, cover means of transportation, storage, food handlers, and municipal inspectors.
It provides specifications and requirements for food trucks and food handlers and role of inspectors to ensure that the food is safe and fit for human consumption.
The measures have been released at a time when food outlets and companies dealing with food are witnessing intensified inspection campaigns during Ramdan.
Speaking to Qatar TV yesterday, Dr. Nawal Mohamed Abdullah, a senior food inspection expert at the ministry, said food outlet inspection drive will be further enhanced ahead of Eid Al Fitr.
According to the measures, fresh fish should be transported as quickly as possible in suitable containers maintaining temperatures between -1 to 3 degrees Celsius. Fish should be stacked one after the other in horizontal position, and covered with layers of crushed ice.
Regarding inspection of fish displayed at stores, inspectors should ensure the surfaces displaying fish are clean.
They will make sure the ice is new and crushed and examine the fish 4 to 5 times in three shifts. The inspectors are required to destroy the fish if it’s rotten, damaged or unfit for human consumption.
Regarding fresh meat transportation, the safety measures stipulate that food handlers should have health certificates, and wear gloves while handling meat during transportation.
They should refrain from unhygienic practices that may lead to meat contamination including smoking or spitting in the meat-handling areas.
To transport fresh meat, vehicles must be cleaned before transportation. Carcasses of slaughtered animals, parts of carcasses or edible offal shall not be transported in any means of transport that are not fully enclosed. The carcasses, halves and quarters should hang on rails during transportation or placed in a suitable containers on racks or similar equipment.
Heads and feet of slaughtered animals should not be moved until after they have been skinned or scaled, and the stomach should not be transported until after it has been thoroughly cleaned or scaled and separated from meat.
Vegetables and fruits should be transported in a refrigerated truck with suitable capacity. The means of transport must be mechanically cooled, and be able to maintain the standard temperature of the product during transportation.
The means of transport must be clean and hygienic and have not previously been used to transport any substances harmful to the product.
Vegetables and fruits are not transported with toxic or chemical substances such as disinfectants, detergents, insecticides and others.
It is strictly forbidden to use an open means of transpiration to transport vegetables and fruits. The transport containers should be made of wood, cardboard or plastic with good ventilation through openings in the roof and sides of the boxes.
Dr. Nawal Mohamed Abdullah revealed the action plan to intensify the inspection campaigns on food outlets ahead of Eid Fitr to ensure compliance with safety regulations. She said that under the action plan, inspection drives will be intensified especially for outlets selling food commodities which have high demand during the festivity like sweets, fruits, and bakeries.
