Limits on salt, sugar and fat will make healthy choices easier, experts say
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…
UAE health experts have hailed new limits on salt, sugar, and fat in packaged foods as a significant step towards transforming the food environment, rather than simply expecting consumers to make healthier choices. These caps, to be implemented in stages and taking effect by December 31, 2030, cover locally produced and imported packaged foods.
Dr Ahmed Al Khazraji, Executive Director of Healthy Living at the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, explained that these regulations mark a crucial milestone in public health efforts by gradually improving the nutritional profile of common products while giving manufacturers time to adapt responsibly.
Dr Safa Hegazin, a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, emphasized that consuming less salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats could contribute to healthier dietary patterns over time. She stressed that making healthier choices should be easy, and policies like these ensure the healthier option becomes the easier option. However, clinicians warned that products meeting these limits should not be automatically considered healthy.
Heenana Mustaheena, a clinical dietitian at LLH Hospital, highlighted that many people unknowingly consume excessive salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats from packaged foods, and consumers should continue to check nutrition labels carefully.
Dr Leila Kay Karimpoor, a consultant in Internal Medicine at Burjeel Medical City, noted that the policy's significance lies in addressing population-wide exposure to excess sodium, sugar, and fat, rather than solely relying on individual behavior. High sodium intake can lead to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, and fluid retention, while excessive sugar and fat can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
Food manufacturers have already begun responding to the health drive, with Al Ain Farms Group announcing reductions in added sugar across several products, and United Foods Company expressing preparedness for the new standards.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Limits on salt, sugar and fat will make healthy choices easier, experts say thenationalnews.com
