Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) announced The UAE’s National Nutrition Strategy 2022 -2030. Implementation guidelines were released for the same. This strategy aims to “virtually eliminate” trans fats from the region’s food supply and reduce average consumer salt consumption by 30%

The goals covered under this strategy are stopping the rise in childhood obesity, adult obesity, and diabetes, and reducing stunting and overweight in children under five years old.  It also includes micronutrient supplementation, nutritional education, and growth monitoring programs.

Director of the MOHAP Health Promotion Department Nouf Khamis Al Ali said It is crucial to establish sustainable, resilient food systems for healthy diets to achieve the targets laid out in this strategy.

The goal is to “virtually eliminate industrial trans fats from the food supply by implementing mandatory limits for all food products in accordance with the WHO’S recommendation of a 2% maximum. A maximum of 5% trans fats are currently permitted in food products, according to government data.

The strategy also focuses on lowering the average person’s salt intake by 30% as part of the reformulation goal. MOHAP will work with the industry to establish timelines for the reformulation and reduction of salt, trans fats, and sugar in food products moving forward. “food manufacturers in the UAE have already been reducing salt content in products. Since salt and sugar are necessary to maintain the taste and quality of food products, it is crucial to move forward with these reformulation initiatives in a way that won’t have a negative impact on businesses.

The WHO suggests using appropriate legislation to control the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. Children will currently be given priority, according to Dr. Mariam Al Wahidi, director of the community health department at the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre.