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Doha: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), under which Consumer Protection Department falls, has called for rationalisation of food consumption during the holy month of Ramadan.
The move aims at guiding people to buy food commodities in a moderate amount to avoid waste at a time when the demand for foods is surging.
Qatar has put the issue of food waste among its top priorities by incorporating it in its food security programme. The Ministry of Municipality, which is running the food security programme, has also taken a number of measures to curb food waste.
Social organisations have also come forward with nationwide campaigns.
Hifz Al Naema Center is one such organisation. It collects surplus food not consumed and distributes it among people who need it through various distribution sites around the country.
“The holy month of Ramadan witnesses a special food consumption pattern when several inappropriate consumer habits occur which need to be corrected by adopting wiser behaviours based on rationalising consumption,” MoCI said in a tweet.
The Ministry noted that rationalising consumption behaviour is needed to be applied in entire day-to-day life of consumers including their consumption of foods, drinks, energy or other resources.
The rationalisation of food consumption is the optimal consumption of food, the balance and the moderation of spending without waste, in order to preserve food and make it available for all.
To rationalise food consumption, the MoCI asked consumers to set a budget for shopping, and make a list to buy their basic needs and adhere to it, and avoid rushing to buy unnecessary goods and foodstuffs.
The consumers are also urged to choose the right time to shop, preferably away from fasting hours because feeling hungry pushes them to buy more than they need.
The Ministry cautioned consumers about being tempted by fake offers and discounts, and check the price of the product before and after the sale.
People have also been advised to check the expiry date on the product, its contents, and how to use and store it.
The Ministry has also advised consumers to try to limit to cooking one or two items for Iftar meals to avoid food waste and keep the leftover food and save it in a proper way to reuse it later.
Intensifying its efforts further to curb the food waste, the Ministry of Municipality last year launched a survey to develop a national food waste baseline in the country.
During first phase (from February 28, 2022 to end of March 2022), food leftovers were collected and sorted at household levels within Doha Municipality, in coordination with the General Cleanliness Department and the Waste Recycling and Treatment Department.
