H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, has issued Decision No. (102) of 2025 approving the Qatari Technical Regulation for Shelf-Life Periods of Food Products (QS 10050:2025). This new regulation replaces the previous Technical Regulation QS GSO 150-1:2013/Amd1/Amd2:2023, adopted under Ministerial Decision No. (17) of 2024, as well as the Standard Specification QS GSO 150-2:2013/Amd1:2024, adopted under Ministerial Decision No. (17) of 2025.
The new regulation aims to ensure the safety and quality of food products circulating in the local market by adopting shelf-life periods based on scientific principles and modern international standards. This will contribute to enhancing consumer confidence and reducing food waste through adopting more flexible shelf-life periods based on reliable studies, thus contributing to greater market adaptability by allowing the entry of a wider and more diverse range of products.
The significance of this regulation lies in establishing a unified national framework that achieves 100% compliance with rigorous international standards. It directly contributes to safeguarding domestic dairy products, in alignment with Cabinet directives, while effectively resolving challenges previously encountered in applying expiration dates to prepared foods in restaurants and hotels due to conflicting regulations and procedures.
Furthermore, this new regulation is a crucial pillar of support for the national industry. It actively encourages innovation and significantly enhances the competitiveness of local products in both domestic and global markets. By mitigating unjustified restrictions related to expiration dates, the regulation streamlines import and export processes, thereby contributing to a broader diversity of food products available within the local market.
The regulations introduce precise, specified shelf-life periods for a variety of sensitive food categories, including chilled meat and meat products, fresh fish and seafood, baby food, eggs, fresh and pasteurized juices, and ready-to-eat foods. Crucially, the regulations also mandate the appropriate storage temperatures for each specific type of product.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry affirmed that this decision, developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Municipality, facilitated through the Qatar General Organization for Standardization, represents a significant advancement in the nation’s food safety ecosystem. Its primary objective is to harmonize all adopted standards across the country, ensuring that every food producer and supplier adheres to clear, unified mechanisms for displaying production and expiry dates, as well as stringent regulations for storage and display. Ultimately, this initiative is expected to substantially reduce food waste and losses incurred through disposal processes.
The Ministry urges all entities operating within the food sector to ensure full compliance with the new decision. It clarified that inspection teams from the relevant authorities will promptly commence comprehensive monitoring campaigns to verify application of the regulations and will undertake the necessary legal measures against any violators, in strict accordance with applicable legislation.
This decision is officially scheduled to take effect on the day immediately following its publication in the Official Gazette.
