Doha: The Ministry of Public Health conducted an extensive inspection campaign targeting restaurants, cafeterias, and company-designated food service sites in the Industrial Area, focusing on food safety and consumer health protection in Qatar.

According to Qatar News Agency, the campaign inspected 479 establishments, including restaurants and cafeterias, and 191 company-designated food preparation sites for worker accommodations. These inspections aimed to ensure compliance with health standards, involving at least three visits per site to assess corrective measures and compliance levels.

Inspectors from the Ministry collected 1,813 food samples, with 1,239 from restaurants and cafeterias and 573 from worker housing sites. The Ministry's food safety laboratories analyzed these samples, confirming they met health requirements. Over the four-month campaign, inspectors completed more than 1,650 visits, resulting in significant performance improvements, with over 82 percent of establishments improving by at least one grade in the classification system.

Statistics from the Wathiq electronic food safety system indicated 44 percent of company-designated sites received an Excellent rating, with 85 percent rated Average and above, compared to initial inspections. The Ministry remains committed to expanding coverage to remaining locations, increasing inspections, and organizing training workshops to enhance awareness of health and hygiene standards among food handlers.

The Ministry's Food Safety Department continues its food establishment classification program, a critical element of its public health protection strategy. This initiative relies on cooperation between authorities and food establishment owners to create a sustainable food system meeting the highest safety standards.