UAE Sets New Sodium, Sugar And Fat Limits Violators Face Fines Up To Dh500,000

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The UAE has begun implementing new limits on sodium, sugar and fat in selected food products, as part of a nationwide effort to improve nutrition and reduce obesity and other noncommunicable diseases.

The resolution applies to specified packaged foods manufactured locally or imported into the UAE, including products handled by companies in free zones. It introduces phased reductions in sodium, processed sugar and fat across products including bread, sweetened milk drinks, flavoured yoghurt and laban, salty snacks and processed cheese.

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Food establishments that fail to comply with the applicable limits could face administrative penalties ranging from a warning to fines of between Dh5,000 and Dh500,000. Authorities may also close a violating establishment for up to six months, with the closure renewable, or cancel its licence or approval in coordination with the relevant licensing authority.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the resolution creates a national framework to gradually reduce the targeted ingredients and improve the nutritional value of food products, while supporting more balanced food choices.

The rules cover all stages of the food chain, including production, manufacturing, preparation, processing, packaging, transport, import, storage, distribution, serving, display and sale.

Food products manufactured or imported specifically for direct export or onward export outside the UAE are exempt, unless they are traded within the country.

New limits for bread and milk drinks

The resolution divides the targeted foods into two groups with different initial compliance periods. The first covers bread, sweetened milk drinks, flavoured yoghurt and laban, and specified salty snacks, while the second covers processed cheese.

For leavened bread, the first-phase limit has been set at 444mg of sodium, 6g of total sugars and 8.4g of total fat per 100g. In the final phase, these will fall to 370mg of sodium, 5g of sugars and 7g of fat.

For flat bread, the limits will move from 384mg of sodium, 6g of total sugars and 8.4g of total fat in the first phase to 320mg, 5g and 7g respectively in the final phase.

Sweetened milk drinks, including milk alternatives, will have a total sugar cap of 9.6g in the first phase, falling to 8g in the final phase. For sweetened or flavoured yoghurt and laban, the corresponding limits are 12g and 10g.

Sodium caps for snacks and cheese

The resolution also targets high-salt snacks. Sodium limits for salted crackers will fall from 696mg to 580mg, while those for salted nuts and seeds will drop from 336mg to 280mg.

For pretzels, the limit will come down from 912mg to 760mg, while extruded snacks and chips made from potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables or grains will see the cap reduced from 564mg to 470mg.

Processed cheese makes up the second group of targeted products. Spreadable cheese will have a maximum sodium limit of 864mg in the first phase and 720mg in the final phase. For other processed cheeses, the limit will fall from 1,200mg to 1,000mg.

How long do firms have to comply?

Businesses handling products in the first group, including bread, sweetened milk drinks, flavoured yoghurt and laban, and salty snacks, will have up to nine months from the date the resolution takes effect to meet the first-phase limits. They must then continue reducing the targeted ingredients to reach the final limits by December 31, 2030.

Those handling processed cheese, which forms the second group, will have up to two years and three months from the date the resolution takes effect to meet the first-phase limits. They must also reach the final limits by December 31, 2030.

Stocks of targeted products manufactured or imported before the resolution takes effect can continue to be sold for up to one year from that date, or until the products expire, whichever comes first. After that, products that do not meet the applicable limits cannot be traded.

Exceptions in some cases

The resolution also allows businesses to seek an exception to the first-phase limit where compliance would require them to cut a targeted ingredient by more than 20 per cent of its established level in a product.

The exception applies to products that were manufactured, imported or traded in the UAE before the resolution takes effect. Applications must be submitted to the Ministry within 30 days from that date and must include technical data, registered nutrition-label information and test results from an accredited laboratory.

Establishments applying for an exception must commit to reducing the targeted ingredient by at least 20 per cent within the first-phase period. Any exception does not exempt the establishment or product from ultimately meeting the maximum limits, nor can it extend the final compliance deadline beyond December 31, 2030.

How compliance will be monitored

Federal and local health authorities and other relevant bodies will be responsible for implementing the provisions of the resolution and monitoring compliance, in coordination with the Ministry.

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