Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) today officially launched the Food Safety Rating Programme for Food Establishments in the State of Qatar.

The initiative aims to enhance compliance with food safety requirements across various food establishments in the country.

The programme enables consumers to assess the extent to which food establishments adhere to health regulations, based on the results of periodic inspections.

Under the programme, food establishments are classified into six categories: (1) Urgent Improvement Necessary, (2) Major Improvement Necessary, (3) Improvement Necessary, (4) Good, (5) Very Good, (6) Excellent. The classification results are published on the "Watheq" electronic food safety system, allowing consumers to review them, while food establishments can also display their classification rating on-site.

The programme consists of three phases, with the first two already implemented, covering hotels and restaurants in tourist areas and shopping malls. The third phase will include all other food establishments that provide direct food services to consumers in Qatar, with implementation set to begin in the third quarter of this year. As of 16 February 2025, a total of 1,284 food establishments have been classified under the programme.

During the ceremony, Wasan Abdulla Al Baker, Director of the Food Safety Department at the Ministry of Public Health, honoured 51 food establishments that received "Excellent" and "Very Good" ratings under the programme, and expressed her gratitude to the recognised establishments for their commitment to food safety.

The launch event, held at the Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City (HBKMC), was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Municipality (‎Albaladiya), and Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), as well as the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Qatar Tourism (QT), Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QGOSM), Qatar University (QU), and owners of restaurants and hotels participating in the programme’s first phase.

In her opening remarks, Wasan Al Baker, stated, "The official launch of the Food Safety Rating Programme for Food Establishments marks a significant step towards achieving the highest levels of compliance with global health and safety standards, contributing to enhanced food safety and public health protection in Qatar."

Al Baker emphasised that the programme was designed to promote transparency and credibility in the food safety sector by classifying establishments based on technical standards and requirements. This approach aims to raise consumer awareness and strengthen confidence in the quality of food products and services by providing essential information on the level of compliance maintained by each establishment.

Wasan Al Baker added, "The programme is one of the key mechanisms adopted by the Food Safety Department at the Ministry of Public Health to ensure safe food for all residents of Qatar and prevent foodborne illnesses. We hope that this classification system will encourage food establishments to continuously improve their performance and adhere to food safety regulations."

Mubarak Al Naemi, Head of the Environmental Health Section at the Ministry of Public Health, delivered an introductory presentation on the programme, detailing its development phases and explaining how food establishments in Qatar can utilise it.

The implementation mechanism of the Food Safety Rating Programme requires each registered food establishment to undergo at least three inspection visits, with additional visits conducted regularly to ensure compliance.

The programme was developed using a risk-based inspection approach, in collaboration with international consultants. The Food Safety Department at the Ministry of Public Health designed the programme to align food establishments with food safety requirements, drawing insights from international best practices in this field.

A two-year field study was conducted to evaluate the programme, culminating in its final design to meet Qatar’s food safety requirements and framework.

Consumers can view the classification results of food establishments through the 'Watheq' system via the following link: https://emsfsa.moph.gov.qa/en/food-premises/Pages/ScoreGradingSearch.aspx

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