Local authorities have increased the number of inspections of food and retail shops in recent months.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has conducted a series of inspections on companies that distribute and sell frozen food products in Qatar. The drive is part of the ministry’s campaign to ensure that businesses and retailers are adhering to the country’s standards and regulations when it comes to product price, quality and hygiene.

The latest round of inspections resulted in the seizure of 13,000 frozen food products which authorities found had had their expiry dates altered and replaced with new ones before being distributed to outlets or placed on supermarket shelves.

Qatar’s law states “no defective or adulterated commodity shall be sold, displayed, presented, promoted or advertised. The commodity shall be deemed to be adulterated or defective where it does not conform to the prescribed standard specifications, is unfit for use, or has expired.”

The ministry of commerce said that actions such as altering expiry dates are taken seriously, and negligence would lead to grave consequences. Individuals or companies who violate the ministerial decisions will be referred to relevant authorities, the ministry added.

As part of Qatar’s effort to monitor commercial activities and also protect consumer rights, the Ministry of Municipality has also been conducting inspections. Al Rayan municipality carried out a total of 37,015 inspections of food establishments in 2021. The inspection resulted in 448 records in violation of Law No 8 of 1990 regarding the regulation of human food control. As a result, 27 food outlets were closed and several employees of other food establishments were briefed about the importance of maintaining the health and safety of food and food products.

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