The UAE is introducing stricter limits on sodium, sugar and fat in selected packaged foods to encourage healthier diets and reduce obesity and other noncommunicable diseases.
Products covered: Bread, sweetened milk drinks, flavoured yoghurt, laban, salty snacks and processed cheese.
Phased reductions: Limits will gradually become stricter, with final targets set for the coming years.
Bread: Sodium in leavened bread will drop from 444mg to 370mg per 100g, while flat bread will fall from 384mg to 320mg.
Milk drinks: Sugar limits will decrease from 9.6g to 8g per 100g.
Yoghurt and laban: Sugar limits will fall from 12g to 10g.
Salty snacks: Lower sodium limits will apply to crackers, nuts, seeds, pretzels and chips.
Processed cheese: Sodium limits will drop from 864mg to 720mg for spreadable cheese and from 1,200mg to 1,000mg for other varieties.
Penalties: Violating businesses could face fines of up to Dh500,000, closure for up to six months or licence cancellation.
The rules apply across the food chain, while products made exclusively for export remain exempt unless sold within the UAE.
Compliance Timeline:
First group: Businesses have up to 9 months to meet the initial limits and must reach the final limits by December 31, 2030.
Processed cheese: Businesses have up to 2 years and 3 months to meet the initial limits, with final compliance required by December 31, 2030.
Existing stock: Products made or imported before the rules take effect can be sold for up to one year or until expiry, whichever comes first.
Exceptions: Businesses can apply for an exception within 30 days if meeting the first-phase limit requires reducing an ingredient by more than 20%. They must still achieve the final limits by December 31, 2030.
Monitoring: Federal and local health authorities will oversee implementation and compliance.
