The Traffic Light Food Labelling System
For people who want to buy and consume healthy food without necessarily going through the long list of nutrition facts.
Image credit:Instagram/ADPHC.
What do we mean by that?
The UAE recently introduced a simplified food labeling system to support people in making quick decisions. In individual colors (red, amber, and green), people can quickly analyze which food product is high or low in fat, saturated fat, sugars, and salt content and make informed choices accordingly. The labels will also consider the calorie count of each product; the products concerned here are canned food, solid food, and liquid drinks. The nutritional information is written per 100 grams or 100 ml or both.
This policy was proposed by the National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing in cooperation with the Food Security Office, and it was accepted by the UAE in 2019. For now, it is not obliged to have labels on products. Still, it would be mandatory by January 2022 on suppliers under the supervision of ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology).
Meaning of the colors:
Just as in the traffic light we all know, the principles are the same: STOP, MODERATE, and GO.
- RED COLOR:
It Indicates that the product is high in fat, saturated fat, salt, or sugar. Food labels red are not recommended by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC); people are advised to reduce their consumption. It is just like you are driving your car, and you see a red light who recommends you stop or continue and get punished.
Image credit: Instagram/ ADPHC.
- AMBER COLOR:
This color indicates that the product is moderate in salt, sugar, fat, and saturated fat and can be eaten in moderation.
Image credit:Instagram/ADPHC.
- GREEN COLOR:
When the food is mostly label green, it is low in salt, fat, and sugar. In other words, it is a healthy option; it is the ‘GO’ sign.
Image credit: Instagram/AD
PHC.
AIM and importance of this system:
According to the statistics published by the UAE National Health Survey Results in 2019, 20 percent of adults over 18 years old have diabetes, 43 percent have high-level cholesterol, 28 percent suffer from obesity, and 29 percent have high blood pressure. All the above are food-related diseases; This system is then designed to he
lp consumers make better lifestyle choices.
The policy requires food suppliers in the UAE to add simple nutritional information on fat, saturated fat, sugars, and salt content in three colors based on their levels on the front of food packages. There are making it easy for customers to see whether the contents are healthy or not.
As Hippocrates stated once, “Let the food be thy medicine……”; in other words, if someone eats healthy, he/she would have less risk of being sick.
Fasiel Rolling Chiedjo,
LLB Commercial Law at Middlesex University Dubai.
REFERENCES:
-Tabrez, H. (2021). Red, Amber, and green: UAE’s new ‘traffic light system’ to label food is here. Gulf News. Available at: https://gulfnews.com/living-in-uae/health/red-amber-and-green-uaes-new-traffic-light-system-to-label-food-is-here-1.1615728326106 [Accessed: 18/03/2021].
-UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention. Available at: https://www.mohap.gov.ae/en/MediaCenter/News/Pages/2072.aspx [Accessed: 18/03/2021].
-Instagram/ Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre; Images.