UAE: Your bread and packaged food will have less salt soon. Here's why

Dubai: The UAE is preparing to introduce stringent regulations on salt content in bakery, packaged, and processed foods following alarming findings from the National Health and Nutrition Survey, which revealed that 96.2% of residents consume sodium well above recommended daily limits.

The new rules, being planned by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), will mandate maximum salt levels in bread and other food categories as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, a top official told Gulf News.

"There will be new regulations for bakeries and food manufacturers," confirmed Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention.

"We need to control how much salt is used in bread, bakery products, and processed foods, with specific maximum percentages to be followed," he said while speaking to Gulf News after the ministry announced the results of the country’s first comprehensive Nutrition Survey on Tuesday.

Salt, contains the element sodium, which has a variety of crucial functions. The sodium regulates the fluid balance in our body. However, high sodium consumption raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and other chronic health conditions.

Health officials warned that excessive sodium intake is a major contributor to high blood pressure, which affects 25.9% of adults in the UAE as per the survey, and increases the risk of serious cardiovascular disease.

Last year, the UAE’s nationwide hypertension screening found that one in five residents has high blood pressure, and more than 40% of those affected were unaware of their condition, highlighting a significant silent health crisis. The campaign, which tested over 110,000 people, also showed that nearly 30% of treated patients have not achieved adequate blood pressure control, underscoring the need for regular monitoring and preventive care.

Health officials also noted that high-salt diets are closely linked to obesity, as salty foods stimulate appetite and are often consumed in calorie-dense processed and restaurant meals, compounding long-term health risks.

The findings also revealed that 22.4% of adults are living with obesity and that nearly about 60% of adults are not getting enough physical activity to meet health guideline, highlighting a critical area for preventive health intervention.

Dr Al Rand said the latest findings will guide the development of innovative health programmes, expanded preventive screening, and clear health messaging aimed at empowering individuals to make healthier daily choices and supporting a society where health and quality of life are protected and sustained.

The planned regulations represent an escalation of ongoing efforts to reduce sodium consumption, which began under the UAE’s National Nutrition Strategy 2017–2021, initially focusing on reducing salt in bread products.

In 2018, Dubai Municipality launched campaigns encouraging supermarkets to cut salt in in-house food items and conducted workshops urging chefs to measure salt and oil content before food preparation.

The ministry has also run public awareness campaigns, including a 2024 initiative urging residents to limit daily salt intake to less than five grams, equivalent to about one teaspoon, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

However, studies indicate that average salt consumption in the UAE continues to significantly exceed this limit, driven by high salt content in processed foods, dining out, and liberal use of salt in home cooking.

The National Nutrition Strategy 2022–2030 has set ambitious targets, including reducing average salt intake by 30% by 2030 and virtually eliminating industrial trans fats from the food supply.

The ministry’s approach will extend beyond bakeries to multiple food categories through a reformulation programme aimed at reducing salt, sugar, and fat content in everyday products.

“Authorities will first analyse consumption patterns from the survey to identify which food categories contribute most to excessive sodium intake,” explained Dr Nouf Khamis Al Ali, Director of the Health Promotion Department at MoHAP.

“We need to understand whether people consume more salt from bakeries, fast food, or packaged products. This will help us decide which categories to prioritise for regulation.”

Unlike taxation that is already applied to sugary beverages and tobacco products, the ministry confirmed that salt will be addressed through reformulation requirements rather than additional taxes.

The survey revealed widespread dietary concerns beyond sodium. About 27.3% of residents exceeded recommended sugar intake, while 27.4% reported consuming sugar-sweetened beverages daily. Authorities say these patterns require urgent intervention.

The UAE introduced a new tiered sugar tax on sweetened drinks, effective January 1, 2026, with rates based on sugar content per 100 millilitres. Beverages containing eight grams or more of sugar per 100ml face the highest tax rate, while those with less than five grams are exempt.

This policy aims to encourage healthier consumption habits and complements reformulation efforts outlined in the National Nutrition Strategy 2022–2030.

The nutrition survey also found that 56.1% of residents exceeded recommended fat intake, with average daily energy consumption reaching 2,852 kilocalories per person—well above the recommended levels for most adults.

Dr Buthaina Bin Belaila, Head of Non-Communicable Disease and Mental Health at the ministry, emphasised that the survey’s findings will inform targeted interventions as the UAE works towards its 2030 health goals.

"Our target is to reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases by 30% by 2030. We are implementing sustainable national campaigns for awareness, early screening programmes, and empowering communities with the right health information,” she said.

The ministry plans to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for both awareness campaigns and early disease screening, ensuring accurate health information reaches residents through accessible channels.

The National Nutrition Survey provides the UAE’s first comprehensive assessment of dietary patterns, offering crucial baseline data. Health officials acknowledge that identifying specific food categories for regulation will require additional analysis of the survey’s detailed consumption data.

“This is the first nutrition survey in the UAE, so we now have a baseline to work from. We will use these results to identify which foods contribute most to high salt consumption and focus our regulations accordingly,” said Dr Al Ali.

The National Nutrition Strategy also prioritises supporting residents with healthier food options through reduced salt, sugar, and fat content, complemented by education and awareness programmes.

Dr Alya Zaid Harbi, Director of the Statistics and Research Centre at the ministry, added: “The aim of the survey is not only to collect data but to improve health outcomes by developing policies, programmes, and strategies that enhance results. We will work on comprehensive programmes to improve nutritional indicators in future surveys.”

The ministry has not yet announced specific timelines for implementing the new salt regulations, indicating that further studies and stakeholder consultations will inform the final policy framework.