Saudi Arabia to enforce new food labelling rules from July 1

Dubai: Food establishments, restaurants, cafés, and delivery platforms in Saudi Arabia will be required to display comprehensive nutritional details on their menus, effective July 1, 2025.

The new food labelling rules have been issued by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), as part of a national push to help consumers make healthier, more informed choices when dining out or ordering food online.

 Under the updated rules, all food establishments, restaurants, cafés, and delivery platforms, are mandated to display comprehensive nutritional details on their menus.

This includes a saltshaker icon next to high-sodium meals, caffeine content disclosures for beverages, and an estimate of the physical activity needed to burn off the calories in each item. The requirements apply to both physical and digital menus.

The food authority says the regulations aim to promote a balanced lifestyle and increase public awareness of sodium and caffeine intake in line with health recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which advises a maximum daily intake of 5 grams of salt (about one teaspoon), and no more than 400 mg of caffeine for adults, 200 mg for pregnant women.

To assist both businesses and the public, the SFDA provides a free “Caffeine Calculator” tool on its website: https://www.sfda.gov.sa/en/body-calculators/caffeine-calculator.

The full technical regulations, including details on labelling for high-salt items, caffeine levels, and physical activity equivalents can be accessed via the “Mwasfah” platform: https://mwasfah.sfda.gov.sa/Home. For more information, the SFDA can be reached at its unified call number: 19999.