The UAE’s new limits on salt, sugar and fat in packaged foods are an important shift towards changing the food environment itself, rather than placing the responsibility for healthier eating entirely on consumers, health experts have said.
The new rules, approved on Tuesday, place caps on levels of sodium, sugar and fat in packaged foods, whether locally manufactured or imported. The rules are to be implemented in phases, with the final limits taking effect by December 31, 2030.
They form part of a much wider effort across the UAE to tackle obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other lifestyle-related conditions by changing the types of food people encounter every day.
Dr Ahmed Al Khazraji, Executive Director of Healthy Living at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said the Cabinet resolution represented a major milestone for public health.
“By focusing on commonly consumed products and introducing these changes progressively through 2030, we can improve their nutritional profile while giving manufacturers time to reformulate responsibly and maintain the taste and quality consumers expect,” he said.
Dr Al Khazraji said the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre and the Ministry of Health and Prevention worked together to advance the food reformulation agenda.
“The logic is simple: improve the nutritional profile of products that people already buy and enjoy, rather than placing the responsibility entirely on individuals to make a different choice every time,” he said.
“This is part of our work across the food ecosystem, collaborating with government, producers, retailers and food service providers to improve what is available, how it is promoted and placed, and the information people have when making choices.”
The move builds on years of measures aimed at improving public health.
The UAE introduced excise taxes on tobacco, energy drinks and fizzy drinks in 2017, before expanding the system to e-cigarettes, vaping products and drinks containing added sugar or sweeteners.
The country also introduced a sugar-based tax system for drinks, under which products with higher sugar content per 100ml face a higher tax rate.
Abu Dhabi has introduced a parallel series of measures under its Healthy Living Strategy, including restrictions on where foods high in fat, salt and sugar can be displayed in large supermarkets, tighter controls on fast food advertising, stronger nutrition standards in schools and healthier menu requirements in hotels and restaurants.
The medical view
Doctors and dietitians say the changes could have an important cumulative effect because many people consume more salt, sugar and fat than they realise.
Dr Safa Hegazin, staff physician at the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said reducing excessive levels of those ingredients in commonly consumed foods could help support healthier dietary patterns over time.
“Making healthier choices should not be difficult, and policies like these help ensure that the healthier option becomes the easier option,” she said. “As these changes are introduced over time, even modest reductions can contribute to meaningful long-term health benefits.”
“Sustained improvements in diet can help reduce the risk of conditions associated with obesity and poor nutrition, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease,” she added.
However, clinicians stressed that products meeting the new limits should not automatically be considered healthy. Heenana Mustaheena, clinical dietitian at LLH Hospital, Mussaffah, said much of the salt and sugar consumed by people is already present in packaged foods and can easily go unnoticed.
“Most people consume far more salt, sugar, and unhealthy fat than they realise because much of it is already present in everyday packaged foods,” she said. “In the UAE, this is especially important given the high prevalence of excess salt intake.”
She said consumers should continue to check nutrition labels and compare products, particularly by looking at nutritional values per 100g.
“The limits represent maximum levels, and the actual amount consumed still depends on portion size,” she said. “Excess salt can raise blood pressure and increase the workload on the heart and kidneys, while excess sugar and fat can make blood glucose and weight more difficult to manage.”
Dr Leila Kay Karimpoor, Consultant in Internal Medicine at Burjeel Medical City, also said the significance of the policy lay in addressing population-wide exposure rather than relying solely on individual behaviour.
High sodium intake is associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney problems and fluid retention, while excess added sugar can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, she said.
“Consumers should read labels and consider their overall diet, as meeting a regulatory limit does not necessarily make a processed food healthy,” she said.
Industry is prepared
Food manufacturers have already begun responding to the wider health drive.
Al Ain Farms Group previously announced reductions of 10 to 20 per cent in added sugar across some juices, flavoured milk, flavoured yoghurt and laban products, saying the reformulations were aligned with Abu Dhabi’s Healthy Living Strategy.
United Foods Company, which produces edible oils and assorted food products, and distributes name brands like Oreo and Cadbury, said the new standards are something they feel prepared for.
“We are following the international standards even while supplying to 62 countries worldwide,” said Mohamad Ziad Al Najjar, United Foods senior manager B2B.
“When it comes to the healthy standards that Abu Dhabi and the UAE are implementing, it is not something that we have ever faced any challenges with. There is no risk to quality. We are caring for the customer by having all the options.”
The Danish company Arla is a major international dairy co-operative that has had a presence in the UAE for decades. Berta Zammar, head of corporate affairs, communications and sustainability for UAE, Oman and Qatar, told The National at Global Food Week that the regulations are welcome and will succeed with private and public collaboration.
“This circular is totally aligned with our position,” she said. “As our health strategy, it's aligned with our ambition. We are working a lot to move all our products to make them healthier and to be a part of national strategies. It's always a good thing to provide the consumer with healthy food.”
The global picture
Restrictions on the salt, sugar and fat content of food have been brought in around the world.
Several European nations, including Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Croatia, the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece and Portugal, already have limits on how much salt can be used in bread production, ranging from 1.3g to 2g per 100g.
Some countries in Europe extend those limits to cereals, cheese and processed meats. Elsewhere, countries require producers to add warning marks to labelling for foods that exceed strict thresholds for sugar, salt and saturated fat.
Chile pioneered black octagon labels warning consumers about high content, as well as school marketing bans which have been replicated in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela and Uruguay.
Similar warning flags or contrast colours on labels are used in Canada, Singapore and India to help guide consumers.
