Qatar health authority: Al Meera meat safe for consumption (updated)

Al Meera
Al Meera Al Muaither branch
Al Meera Al Muaither branch

Updated on April 15 to reflect testing results found the meat is safe.

Beef from a branch of an Al Meera supermarket that had been tested by Qatar’s Supreme Council of Health (SCH) over claims that it was rotten has been found to be safe and fit for consumption, according to a statement issued by the supermarket chain.

Earlier this week, the SCH announced that it was testing samples following a customer complaint over the freshness of the meat.

The SCH sent inspectors to the Muaither branch of the chain, which opened last month, after it received comments and photographs on social media complaining about beef that had become gray in color.

On Twitter, the SCH advised in Arabic that a number of samples had been taken from several of the supermarket’s stores and were laboratory-tested.

The results of the tests showed that all the meat sold in Al Meera stores was safe, the supermarket said on Wednesday, April 15.

In a statement, Al Meera’s Deputy CEO Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al Qahtani said:

“Al Meera Consumer Goods Company prioritizes the safety of its customers and is committed to have a designated staff engaged in supervising and monitoring food safety in compliance with the required regulations…

Food safety has always been a priority in all that we offer, to insure the wellbeing of our consumers and adhering to our commitment in offering the best quality and freshest items.”

Al Meera, which has 35 outlets in Qatar, said that meat can temporarily discolor when stacked together. However, this has no impact on the freshness of the meat and it changes back to normal once the meat has been opened and refrigerated.

In its earlier statement, the health council said that discoloration in meat is one of the indications that it has spoiled. Beef could go bad for a number of reasons, including not being kept cold enough or left outside of a refrigerator or freezer for a long time, the SCH said.

Speaking to Al Raya, an unnamed source from the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP) was quoted as saying another reason for a change in meat color could be transportation at high temperature from the store to home.

Hygiene complaints

The SCH is one of a number of authorities empowered to investigate complaints about food hygiene, and can close food establishments if they are found to be selling tainted products.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.
Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Under the current law No. 8 of 1990 Regulation of Human Food Control, the SCH, MMUP and Ministry of Environment are jointly responsible for ensuring establishments comply with regulations.

In conjunction with the MMUP, the SCH is part of an ongoing campaign to take action against food establishments that flout health regulations.

In December, 85 cafes and shops in the Industrial Area were closed down by authorities for violating various health requirements.

At that time, the SCH announced it was planning to set up a single public authority that would be responsible for all aspects of food safety in the country – the Qatar Public Authority for Food Safety.

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