Nutri-Mark, which requires every food establishment to use specific labels for different food products, will be adopted in Abu Dhabi in June 2025 in a bid to combat ever-rising obesity levels. The new product-ranking system that debuted at the Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition will initially categorize foods by grade A, the highest in nutritional content, to E, with other categories planned for inclusion in the future.
What is Nutri-Mark?
The Nutri-Mark labels will first be placed on dairy products, oils, beverages, baked goods, children’s foods. Companies will have to conform within six months ; labels will be renewed on an annual basis. The initiative enhances the likelihood of disclosure to allow the consumers to make the right food choices.
Dr. Ahmed Al Khazraji, Acting Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, emphasized the urgency:
- Overweight/Obesity Rates: This showed that 61% of the population of Abu Dhabi is either overweight or obese with 22% being obese. In the current generation, 37% of children are either overweight or obese with 18% or them being considered obese.
- Global Context: According to the United Nations there will be approximately 1.2 billion obese people worldwide in 2030, accounting for 15% of the population.
‘It is not a mere health problem but a community problem,’ observed Dr Al Khazraji when explaining effects of obesity on fertility, thinking abilities and mortality.
Continuing to Support Reformulation and Cooperation
Labeling is just one part of the larger program of change introduced by this initiative. Food processors are encouraged to change course and produce higher grade food with the same taste and feel. Labs will help producers to attain healthier standards.
Abdulla Al Yazeedi of the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council described the launch as pivotal:
But through this we hope to cooperate with the major stakeholders and ensure that the consumer makes right choices with matters to do with their health.
Simple and Effective Approach
Nutri-Mark does not use homogenizing design to limit consumer choices but employs a clean and easily understandable design which guides the consumers’ decisions. “We are not preventing anyone from purchasing anything,” Al Khazraji emphasized, “but consumers have a right to this informaiton”.
This show how Abu Dhabi is serious in fighting obesity with a whole conceptual plan and policy though the government level and standard.
