Your bread and packaged snacks are about to get a little healthier, and honestly, it’s been a long time coming.
The UAE is planning new rules that will cut down salt levels in bread, packaged and processed foods
The move comes after the National Health and Nutrition Survey dropped a pretty alarming stat: 96.2% of residents are consuming way more sodium than recommended.
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So what’s changing?
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) is working on mandatory maximum salt limits for key food categories, starting with bakeries and expanding to other everyday foods. The goal is simple: lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and other long-term health issues that comes along with high amounts of sodium consumption.
High sodium intake is a major driver of these health issues – something that already affects 25.9% of adults in the UAE. What’s more worrying? Many people don’t even know they have it. A nationwide screening last year found that one in five residents had high blood pressure, and over 40% were unaware.
Health officials also point out that salty foods often go hand in hand with obesity and low activity levels. The survey found 22.4% of adults are living with obesity, and nearly 60% aren’t getting enough physical activity.
This isn’t totally new
The UAE has been working on reducing salt since 2017, starting with awareness campaigns, and urging residents to stick to the WHO’s recommendation of less than five grams of salt a day (about one teaspoon). But consumption is still way above that, mostly thanks to processed food, dining out and liberal use of salt in home cooking.
What’s different now is the scale. The new reformulation programme will target multiple food categories and also look at sugar and fat content. And no, salt won’t be taxed, instead food manufacturers will be required to reformulate products.
The survey also flagged sugar and fat as growing concerns. From January 1, 2026, a tiered sugar tax will kick in for sweetened drinks, with higher sugar = higher tax.
So the bottom line is your food might just drop excess salt, and your heart will probably thank you for it.
Also Read: Community Pays Tribute To The Four Brothers Who Died In Abu Dhabi Car Crash
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