The UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention has approved a new resolution capping salt, sugar and fat levels across a wide range of food products. Under the rule, confirmed on Tuesday, manufacturers and suppliers who exceed the new limits face penalties ranging from written warnings to fines of between Dh5,000 and Dh500,000, with more serious violations potentially leading to a six-month closure of the facility or revocation of its licence.
The rules will be phased in through the end of 2030. Leavened bread, for instance, must meet a Phase 1 cap of 444mg sodium, 6g sugar and 8.4g fat per 100g, tightening to 370mg sodium, 5g sugar and 7g fat in Phase 2. Flatbread follows a similar but slightly lower curve.
Sweetened milk drinks must bring sugar down from 9.6g in Phase 1 to 8g in Phase 2, while sweetened yoghurt and laban drop from 12g to 10g. Salted crackers must reduce sodium from 696mg to 580mg per 100g. Other affected categories include salted nuts, pretzels, vegetable snacks and processed cheese, each facing proportional cuts.
Depending on how products are grouped, manufacturers have between nine months and two years and three months to meet Phase 1 requirements. Health officials say the goal is to reduce diet-related conditions such as hypertension and diabetes among UAE residents.
The resolution is part of a broader government push to improve public health through nutrition policy, and further product categories are expected to be added to the list in the coming years.