SGS responds to rise in demand for food exports to Qatar

According to official figures, food and beverage imports to Qatar have risen by nearly 15.8% in comparison with 2023 figures. 

As a trusted partner of government and trade communities all over the world, this year has seen SGS support increasing numbers of global businesses to gain entry to Qatar’s competitive and prosperous market.

Ensuring products are safe and conform to relevant standards is key. To this end Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health – Food Safety Department (MoPH-FSD) implements its Conformity Assessment of Food Scheme which applies to a wide variety of food products, including:

• Meat and meat products
• Genetically modified ingredients and products (GMOs)
• Organic foods
• Enoki mushrooms
• Prepackaged food
• Spices
• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Seafood
• Processed food
• Dairy products
• Vegetable oil
• Honey

Any business looking to import goods into Qatar must obtain a certificate of conformity (CoC) for them from an MoPH-FSD-approved certification body, such as SGS.

SGS supports businesses all over the world to gain market access by ensuring their products conform to Qatari technical standards. A one-stop-shop service provides customer-focused conformity assessment for a complete range of regulated food products. Through its global network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, SGS accelerates products'  time-to-market while ensuring quality and safety to reduce potential losses.

To obtain a certificate of conformity (CoC), exporters must provide their chosen certification body with a range of documents for the corresponding shipments. These include:

• WATEQ registration
• Invoice/pro-forma invoice
• Packing list
• Quality management system (QMS)
• Internal CoA (certificate of analysis/test reports)
• Product label (artwork)
• Label inspection report
• Evidence that product samples are analyzed in an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory and show compliance with Qatari technical standards/Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) General Standard Organization requirements

All meat, meat products or products containing ingredients of animal origin must also supply a Halal certificate alongside the mandatory CoC. In addition, while products manufactured in countries of the GCC do not require mandatory CoC, food products re-exported will require a CoC.

With over 100 years of proven objectivity, reliability and integrity, SGS is the trusted partner of government and trade communities all over the world. Currently, its conformity assessment programs include those for Saudi Arabia (SASO), Kuwait (PAIKUCAS), Kenya (KEBS), Egypt (GEOIC), Algeria (IANOR), Nigeria (SON), Tanzania (TBS) and Uganda (UNBS).

To find out more Qatar – PVoC Program for Food.