UAE sets limits on salt, sugar and fat in packaged food by 2030
A UAE Cabinet decision caps sodium, sugar and fat in bread, sweetened dairy drinks, yoghurt, salty snacks and processed cheese. Final limits apply from 31 December 2030, with fines of up to Dh500,000.
The UAE has approved maximum levels of sodium, sugar and fat in several kinds of packaged food, whether made locally or imported. The decision targets a 16.7 per cent reduction in these ingredients in the selected products and is aimed at lowering obesity and related diseases.
The first group covers bread and flatbread, sweetened milk drinks including plant based ones, sweetened or flavoured yoghurt and laban, and salty snacks such as crisps, salted nuts and salted biscuits. It must meet the first stage limits within nine months of the decision taking effect. The second group, processed and spreadable cheese, has two years and three months. Both must meet the final limits by 31 December 2030.
Products made or imported before the decision can stay on sale for up to a year or until they expire, whichever comes first. Penalties range from a warning to fines of Dh5,000 to Dh500,000, closure for up to six months, or loss of licence.
For shoppers nothing changes overnight, but recipes for everyday items are expected to shift gradually over the next four years. National survey figures cited with the decision show 96.2 per cent of adults eat more sodium than recommended.
