(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public health (MoPH) has devised a comprehensive action plan for monitoring and surveillance activities targeting various contaminants in all categories of food over the next five years. This initiative aligns with the objectives of the World Health Organization's Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022–2030, which aims to reduce the burden of foodborne illnesses.
Implementation of the plan began at the start of 2024. The Ministry's Food Safety Department's monitoring team analysed data from over 30,000 samples collected by regulatory authorities during 2023–2024, alongside 400,000 test results. This analysis aims to prioritise monitoring and surveillance programmes for potential food contaminants in Qatar.
The plan also includes the preparation and publication of a report on pesticide residues in imported and locally grown vegetables and fruits. This 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 programmes include assessing salt levels in bread and microbial contaminants in fish sold in central markets.
In line with the principle that "food safety is a shared responsibility" and to enhance cooperation with strategic partners, the Food Safety Department at the MoPH, in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipality (Albaladiya), has developed a monitoring plan for veterinary drug residues in livestock slaughtered in Qatar. The plan includes a survey launched on 1 December, 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.
Food risk 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.
Monitoring and surveillance systems serve as the first line of defence against food-related risks, acting as an effective tool for early risk detection. This enables swift responses and effective management of food incidents, contributing to the reduction of exposure to foodborne pathogens.
The food risk monitoring and surveillance activities also involve periodic updates to the list of precautionary measures for foodborne zoonotic diseases (such as avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy). These updates are managed by a joint team from the Food Safety Department at the Ministry of Public Health and the Animal Wealth Department at the Ministry of Municipality. Updates are based on the epidemiological situation and the guidance of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Addressing food risks requires continuous enhancement of technical capabilities to trace potential risks through monitoring programmes, analysis, and ongoing investigative studies.
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