DOHA: Intensifying fight against lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes, Qatar and its GCC peers are aiming to drastically reduce fat consumption in their societies.
Member states will target restricting the use of industrially produced vegetable fats in preparing margarine and fast, baked and fried food available publicly.
A GCC Technical Committee for Food and Agricultural Products meeting here will today discuss study-based suggestions of member-countries on reducing the use of trans-fats in food.
The panel began a two-day conclave yesterday. Today, it is likely to discuss proposed amendments to rules regarding expiry dates of food items covered under GCC Standard, GSO 150-2/2013.
According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the committee is also working on finalising GCC labelling guides for regionally produced foodstuff and rules regarding the use of preservatives in food and production of organic and genetically-modified food.
It has sub-committees and task forces, and one of the task forces is devoted to ‘halal’ food products.
The committee has approved substitutes to mother’s milk for children of different ages and cleared vitamins and minerals permitted to be used in food.
It said that thanks to its coordination with GCC Specifications and Standards Authority, it has approved over 17,000 specifications for foodstuff at the regional level.
Also approved is an extensive set of health specifications for food handlers.
These are general rules for health and safety requirements employees of hotels, restaurants, fast food joints, cafeterias and traditional kitchen must fulfil and acquire certifications from public health authorities periodically.
This is the 22nd meeting of the committee being held here. Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al Hamad Al Mana, Director, Standards and Metrology Management, Qatar, will attend.
He told QNA that the committee had worked hard to place on the table for discussion solutions to problems facing food monitoring authorities in the region.
All issues being discussed or to be reviewed at the meeting for approval have been intimated to World Trade Organisation, QNA said. Al Mana said the panel has worked since its inception to ensure food specifications and standards it finalises meet international standards. The committee works in unison at the GCC level. the peninsula
