06/10/2026
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06/10/2026
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ABU DHABI, Oct 6 : The UAE has begun implementing new limits on sodium, sugar and fat in selected food products, with companies that violate the regulations facing penalties of up to Dh500,000.
The new rules, issued as part of a nationwide effort to improve nutrition and reduce obesity and other noncommunicable diseases, apply to specified packaged foods manufactured locally or imported into the UAE, including products handled by companies operating in free zones.
The regulations introduce phased reductions in sodium, added sugar and fat in products including bread, sweetened milk drinks, flavoured yoghurt and laban, salty snacks and processed cheese.
Food establishments that fail to meet the applicable limits may receive a warning or face fines ranging from Dh5,000 to Dh500,000. Authorities may also order the closure of 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 establishes a national framework to gradually reduce targeted ingredients and improve the nutritional value of food products while encouraging healthier and more balanced food choices.
The rules cover the entire food chain, including production, manufacturing, preparation, processing, packaging, transportation, import, storage, distribution, serving, display and sale.
Products manufactured or imported specifically for direct export or onward export outside the UAE are exempt, unless they are subsequently traded within the country.
New limits for bread and dairy products
The targeted foods are divided into two groups, each with different initial compliance periods. The first group includes bread, sweetened milk drinks, flavoured yoghurt and laban, and specified salty snacks. Processed cheese forms the second group.
For leavened bread, the first-phase limit is 444mg of sodium, 6g of total sugars and 8.4g of total fat per 100g. The final limits will fall to 370mg of sodium, 5g of sugars and 7g of fat.
For flat bread, the limits will decline from 384mg of sodium, 6g of total sugars and 8.4g of total fat per 100g 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 limit 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 initially and 10g in the final phase.
Sodium limits tightened for snacks and cheese
The regulations also introduce lower sodium limits for several high-salt snack products.
The sodium limit for salted crackers will fall from 696mg to 580mg, while the limit for salted nuts and seeds will drop from 336mg to 280mg.
For pretzels, the limit will decline from 912mg to 760mg. The limit for extruded snacks and chips made from potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables or grains will fall from 564mg to 470mg.
For spreadable processed cheese, the maximum sodium limit will be 864mg in the first phase and 720mg in the final phase. For other processed cheeses, the limit will decline from 1,200mg to 1,000mg.
Businesses given phased compliance period
Businesses handling products in the first group will have up to nine months from the effective date of the resolution to meet the first-phase limits.
They will then have to continue reducing the targeted ingredients to meet the final limits by December 31, 2030.
Businesses handling processed cheese will have up to two years and three months to meet the first-phase requirements, while the final limits must also be achieved by December 31, 2030.
Products manufactured or imported before the resolution takes effect may continue to be sold for up to one year from that date or until their expiry, whichever comes first. After that period, products that do not comply with the applicable limits cannot be traded in the UAE.
Exceptions allowed in certain cases
The resolution allows businesses to seek an exception from the first-phase limit where compliance would require reducing a targeted ingredient by more than 20 percent from its established level in a product.
Applications must be submitted to the Ministry within 30 days of the resolution taking effect and must include technical data, registered nutritional information and test results from an accredited laboratory.
Businesses granted an exception must commit to reducing the targeted ingredient by at least 20 percent during the first-phase compliance period.
However, an exception does not exempt a product from ultimately meeting the prescribed maximum limits and cannot extend the final compliance deadline beyond December 31, 2030.
Federal and local health authorities, along with other relevant agencies, will oversee implementation and monitor compliance in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
