Saudi Arabia Introduces New Dining Regulations: Highlighting Salt, Caffeine Consumption, and Caloric Expenditure

Saudi Arabia Introduces New Dining Regulations: Highlighting Salt, Caffeine Consumption, and Caloric Expenditure

From July 1, 2025, restaurants and cafes across Saudi Arabia are required to comply with updated technical regulations that aim to promote healthier lifestyle choices and increase transparency in food consumption. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has introduced a new directive that mandates detailed nutritional information to be displayed on all menus, both physical and digital, as well as food delivery services.

Under the new rules, food outlets must indicate the estimated time needed to burn off the calories in each food or drink item, disclose caffeine content for all beverages, and label high-sodium meals with a visible saltshaker icon. These measures are designed to help people monitor their intake of salt, sugar, and caffeine in line with global health recommendations.

The World Health Organization advises that adults should consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day and limit caffeine intake to 400 mg daily for adults and 200 mg for pregnant women. The SFDA supports this by offering resources such as a free "Caffeine Calculator" on its website and a technical documentation platform called "Mwasfah", which provides detailed labeling standards, including guidelines for high-sodium items and physical activity equivalents for calories.

The SFDA's initiative is part of its ongoing efforts to encourage healthier eating habits and reduce the burden of diet-related illnesses, such as hypertension and obesity. The new regulation is also aligned with Saudi Arabia's efforts to increase efforts in the battle against obesity.

To support businesses in complying with the new nutritional labeling rules, the SFDA has launched digital tools, including an online Caffeine Calculator. The authority urges restaurants and food providers to ensure full compliance with the new rules to avoid penalties. A complete guide to the new technical standards is available through the SFDA's "Mwasfah" portal.

The SFDA's move is part of its broader public health goals under Vision 2030, which aims to support transparency and nutritional literacy. By providing clear and accessible nutritional information, consumers will be better equipped to make informed dietary choices, leading to healthier lifestyles and supporting the government's public health goals across Saudi Arabia.

1. The updated technical regulations in Saudi Arabia require restaurants and cafes to promote healthier lifestyle choices, particularly in food consumption.
2. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) introduced a new directive, necessitating detailed nutritional information on all menus and food delivery services.
3. Under the new rules, food outlets must reveal the estimated time needed to burn off the calories in each food or drink item.
4. The caffeine content for all beverages must be disclosed according to the new regulations.
5. High-sodium meals will be labeled with a visible saltshaker icon, aiming to help people monitor their intake of salt, sugar, and caffeine.
6. The World Health Organization suggests that adults should consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day and limit caffeine to 400 mg daily for adults, and 200 mg for pregnant women.
7. The SFDA offers resources such as a free "Caffeine Calculator" to help people adhere to WHO recommendations.
8. A technical documentation platform called "Mwasfah" provides detailed labeling standards, including guidelines for high-sodium items and physical activity equivalents for calories.
9. The SFDA's initiative is aimed at encouraging healthier eating habits and reducing the burden of diet-related illnesses like hypertension and obesity.
10. The new regulation supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to increase the battle against obesity.
11. To help businesses comply with the new nutritional labeling rules, the SFDA launched digital tools, including an online Caffeine Calculator.
12. Restaurants and food providers are urged to comply fully with the new rules to avoid penalties.
13. A complete guide to the new technical standards is available through the SFDA's "Mwasfah" portal.
14. The SFDA's move is part of its broader public health goals under Vision 2030.
15. By providing clear and accessible nutritional information, consumers will be better equipped to make informed dietary choices.
16. Informed dietary choices can lead to healthier lifestyles and support the government's public health goals across Saudi Arabia.
17. Healthier lifestyles could potentially lead to a decrease in chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, COPD, and chronic kidney disease.
18. These healthier choices could also impact other health aspects, including eye health, hearing, and skin conditions.
19. The SFDA's initiative aligns with global efforts for workplace-wellness, medical-conditions, and mental-health awareness.
20. This focus on health can also extend to areas like environmental-science, renewable-energy, and climate-change.
21. The manufacturing industry could adapt to produce supplements that support digestive-health, overall health-and-wellness, and fitness-and-exercise.
22. Neurological-disorders like Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune-disorders, multiple-sclerosis, migraine, and cardiovascular-health are potential areas for research and therapies-and-treatments.
23. The SFDA's initiative could incentivize the development of healthier diets, including healthy-diets for weight-management and cancer prevention.
24. The new rules could have implications for the finance, energy, retail, public-transit, entrepreneurship, transportation, automotive, small-business, aviation, and banking-and-insurance sectors.
25. Industries such as space-and-astronomy and oil-and-gas, may also need to consider the impact of these health-focused regulations.
26. The SFDA's initiatives could potentially have a positive impact on CBDB and rheumatoid-arthritis treatments within the healthcare industry.
27. As increased transparency and nutritional literacy grow, it could lead to innovations in the health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and skin-care sectors.
28. The SFDA's efforts demonstrate a commitment to improved public health, fostering a healthier society in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

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