E-mail:
Country:
Qatar
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Ministry of Public Health
Contact person name:
Najat
Website:
Physical full address:
P.O.Box 42
Phone number:
+97444073916
Fax number:
+97444070837
Country introduction
Summary:
The State of Qatar is a peninsula located amid the western coast of the Arabian Gulf. Of the islands affiliated to Qatar, Halul, Shraouh and Al-Asshat are the most important.
Qatar’s capital city is Doha.
The land mainly consists of a flat rocky plain, covered with a range of low limestone outcroppings in Jebel Dukhan in the west and Jebel Fuyart in the north. This plain is mostly marked by its many inland seas (Khors), bays and basins called (al-Riyadh) over the northern and middle areas that are considered to be the most fertile lands housing different natural plants.
Qatar occupies an area of 11,521 square kilometers.
Qatar has a population of about Two million and eight hundred thousand (May 2020). About 83% of the population lives in Doha and its major suburb such as Al Wakra, Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Dukhan etc.
Arabic is the official language of the country, but English is also widely used.
Qatar is not an Agricultural country, although there are large number of agricultural activities happening around Doha city since 2017, and Qatar is able to produce daily required food and feed to some extent. However it depends on the food imports from across the globe.
Qatar Does not produce any Genetically modified organisms of either agricultural or medical in nature.
Imported food and medical supplies are required to label the GM Food/Material on the product itself.
Central Food Laboratories of the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar is the official focal point for the FAO GM Food Platform. The Laboratory is the only food testing Governmental Laboratory in the country with world class facilities for the food testing that comprises Chemical/Microbiology/Molecular Biology/Radiation and Water Testing facilities.
The Laboratory is Accreditated by ANSI National Accreditation Board(ANAB), USA for ISO 17025:2015 for majority of its test parameters.
The laboratory has state of the art infrastructure for the GM testing that includes qPCR, WGS Mi SeQ DNA sequencer, CHEF DR III PFGE Unit etc.
The Laboratory has recently upgraded its facilities to include the GM testing (Screening and Quantification).
Framework
Regulatory framework:
My country has a regulatory framework that requires the competent authority to conduct safety assessment of GM food.
Structure for GM food safety assessment:
My country has competent authority, agency, organization, ministry, department, committee, commission or a system/mechanism that is tasked to conduct or review GM food safety assessment.
Supplemental information:
GSO 2141/2011 General requirements for genetically modified unprocessed Agricutural products
GSO 2142/2011 General requirements for genetically modified processed food and feed
GSO 2143/2011 General requirements for risk assessment and traceability for genaticaly modified products
Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:
Ministry of Public Health - Food Safety Department
Ministry of Municipalitiy and Environment - Agricultural Department
Assessment
GM food safety assessment guidelines:
My country follows the relevant Codex Guidelines or national/regional guidelines that are in line with the Codex Guidelines in conducting safety assessment of GM food.
Conduct of GM food safety assessment:
My country regularly conducts food safety assessment of GM food.
Supplemental information on the implementation:
Stacked events
Regulation of stacked events:
My country is in the process of developing relevant regulations on stacked events.
Supplemental information on the stacked events:
Production and trade
GM food/feed production:
My country does not produce any GM food or feed.
GM food/feed imports:
My country allows imports GM food or feed upon authorization.
Supplemental information on the production and trade:
LLP/AP incidents
LLP/AP incidents:
My country does not monitor LLP/AP situations.
Supplemental information on the LLP/AP incidents:
Labelling requirement
Labelling requirement:
My country has a mandatory and positive labeling regulation on GM food (i.e., It contains GMO).
Supplemental information on the Labelling requirement:
GSO 2142: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GENETICALLY MODIFIED PROCESSED FOOD AND FEED
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment
Other relevant documents:
Country information last modified:
16/07/2020
