Inauguration of laboratory in Abu Samra to test pesticides residue in fresh produce

SCH Assistant Secretary General for Medical Affairs Dr. Saleh Bin Ali Al-Merri inaugurated on Thursday March 5 a laboratory to test pesticide residue in fresh produce in Abu Samra Border Crossing, with the participation of officials from SCH, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Environment.

Participants in the inaugural event took a tour inside the building and were introduced to the up-to-date machines. The lab was built according to best international standards in this field. The lab specializes in testing fresh local and imported produce for pesticide residue through testing samples for immediate and accurate according to accredited GCC and International standards.

SCH ensures quality and safety assurance on imported produce before entering the country, facilitates commercial rotation, and contributes to reduce the time required for samples analysis to 3 hours only.
SCH is currently working on several future programs to build new advanced laboratories to ensure meeting all needs and provide quality and timely services based on best food safety.

The building of internationally accredited labs in Border crossings comes in line with the National Health Strategy (3.10) on Establishment of the Food Safety Authority to manage food safety across the entire food chain while keeping the Central Food Laboratories in Doha as reference lab in the future.

SCH has launched the National Health Strategy to integrates and unify lab services 2013 – 2018 to ensure the delivery of advanced lab services and identify proper measures for quality management and licensing and accredit laboratories.

On his behalf, Sheikh Dr. Mohamad Bin Hamad Al-Thani, SCH Director of Public Health: SCH is keen to implement highest international standards to ensure safety of food. He pointed out that the lab has been fully equipped with the best tools and analytical techniques, and it has been supported by technical qualified staff with high experience to conduct testing operations in accordance to the latest international practices.

Sheikh Dr. Mohamad bin Hamad Al-Thani also explained that the lab contributes in inspecting analytical results based on international legislations and works in accordance with international technical standards and trade requirements.

HAQ_9818.jpgMrs. Wasan Abdullah Al-Baker, SCH Director of Food Safety and Environmental Health Department said: that the laboratory inaugurated for testing pesticide residue in fresh produce in Abu Samra Border Crossing comes as a result of the cooperation between the SCH, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Environment. She added that the Lab will act as a safe gate to inspect the quality of basic food items according to daily consumers’ requirements which are fresh produce imported to the State of Qatar.

Mrs. Najat Ali Abd Al-Malik, Labs Inspector, presented a detailed slide show covering the main operational objectives of the lab, the project contributors, the positive revenues and future plans.

Mrs. Abd Al-Malik pointed out that the lab covers more than 270 types of pesticide testing methods on an ultra micro analysis level up to 0.01 (PPM) in accordance with International specifications using LC-MS/MS and GC-MSD machine.

As part of other future plans, the Lab will be gradually included in the International Accreditation Program on General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories ISO 17025. Future plans also include expanding the scope of pesticide testing to reach 400 complexes, the addition of a biological unit for testing fresh perishable food products such as meat and poultry, and the construction of other labs at other crossings in the State.

Members of SCH praised the great collaboration n of MoI and MoE offering all possible support and facilities to the SCH for the completion of this important project. The inauguration ceremony was attended by MoI Head of Finance Section at Abu Samra crossing Captain Faleh Fahed Al-Noaimi, Captain Ali Rashid Al Mansouri, Head of Security and operation section at the crossing, Captain Mohamad Sultan Al-Manaai, Staff Affairs officer at the crossing and from Ministry of Environment Mr. Masoud Jarallah Al-Merri, Head of Agriculture studies and research Department, and Mr. Mohsen Zayed Al-Khayarin, Director of Communication and Public Relations Department. The ceremony was also attended by Mr. Jassim Al-Hammar Director of Public Relations Department, and Dr. Ahmad Sa’ed Al-Qahtani, Head of Borders Safety Section, Mrs. Rana Fakhrou, Head of Central Food Laboratories and other officials from SCH.

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