The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) marks World Food Safety Day, which falls on June 7, under the theme “Food standards save lives”.
This year’s celebration highlights the role that safe food plays in maintaining human health and calls for a range of specific actions to make food safer.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Public Health is launching an extensive awareness campaign via media outlets, including dissemination of food safety awareness messages through social media and the website of the Ministry of Public Health, in addition to distributing leaflets and brochures related to food safety to food establishments. The Ministry of Public Health building was lit in orange to mark World Food Safety Day.
The Ministry of Public Health organizes many important activities and events, most notably a ceremony to honor food establishments participating in the pilot phase of the Food Handlers License Program in cooperation with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Ministry is also participating in a training workshop organized by the Ministry of Social Development and Family for home businesses entitled “How to ensure the safety of our food products?”. Experts from the Ministry of Public Health will organize a workshop entitled “Food Poisoning and Preventive Measures” in collaboration with Qatar Energy Corporation for food companies that supply Qatar Energy.
Wassan Abdullah Al Baker, Director of the Food Safety Department of the Ministry of Public Health, said: “Celebrating World Food Safety Day contributes to raising awareness and supporting actions and plans to deliver safer and healthier food. This celebration represents an important opportunity to highlight the impact of unsafe food on health. According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 200 foodborne diseases, and statistics indicate that 600 million people around the world are exposed to foodborne diseases every year.” “World Food Safety Day promotes awareness of food safety issues and clarifies how to prevent foodborne diseases. It also provides an opportunity to discuss collaborative approaches to advancing food safety across sectors and promote solutions and ways to achieve further successes in food safety,” Wassan Al Baker added.
During the celebration, the role of the Ministry of Public Health in implementing the provisions of the Law Regulating Human Food Control will be highlighted, as well as its role in preparing relevant technical decisions and requirements. The Ministry participates in the preparation, review and development of food standards and technical regulations, and the issuance of guidelines for food establishments and food handlers, such as the National Food Safety Code of Practice, to prevent the circulation of any food that does not conform with specifications and requirements, ensure the safety of food for human consumption, and call for actions to make food safer.
The Ministry of Public Health is represented by three members in the National Committee for the Preparation of Standards in collaboration with Qatar Standards and Metrology Authority. The members attend the Gulf committees and contribute to updating and preparing specifications that are applied in local inspection of various food establishments and in the country’s outlets on imported food.
Through partnership with the private sector, the Ministry of Public Health, in cooperation with Qatar Chamber and officials of food establishments, including producers, manufacturers and traders, is participating in the preparation of specifications that contribute to raising the level of their commitment to food safety.
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the World Food Safety Day to raise awareness of the importance of food safety globally.
Source: Qatar News Agency