SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)

More goods stamped with Abu Dhabi's Nutri-Mark label will soon hit supermarket shelves, with over 3,500 products now registered in the system.

Nutri-Mark is the region's first front-of-pack nutrition labelling system, developed by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre.

Designed to help consumers make healthier choices, the label provides a simple, colour-graded nutritional assessment of food and beverage products.

Speaking to Aletihad, Eng. Abdulla Hassan Al Muaini, Executive Director of the Central Testing Laboratory at ADQCC, said the Nutri-Mark rollout is gaining pace, with some major brand names among the thousands of products now covered by the scheme.

In the coming months, shoppers are likely to spot the labels in priority categories including bread, dairy, beverages, oils and cereals.

Products are graded on a scale of five letters and colours - ranging from A (dark green) for the highest nutritional value to B (light green), C (yellow), D (light orange) and E (dark orange) for the lowest.

"Since the Nutri-Mark gives a quick, easy to understand, front-of-package comparison of the nutritional values between two or more products in the same category, this allows consumers to make smart choices in their everyday shopping," Al Muaini said.

By the end of the year, the ADQCC expects the initiative to exceed 10,000 registered products. Nutri-Mark could also become a federal requirement for some categories, which would further accelerate adoption and increase the number of labelled goods "exponentially", the official said.

"With proven success of Nutri-Mark in the UAE market and measurable impact on consumer behaviour, we would hope to see its adoption across the GCC countries in the near future," he added.

True Impact
While industry uptake is encouraging, the initiative's long-term success will ultimately depend on how effectively consumers use the Nutri-Mark.

"Consumer interest has been very positive so far, with over 2,900 consumers participating in the Nutri-Mark game at several malls around Abu Dhabi," Al Muaini said.

Shoppers can use the TAMM smart app to scan products and access Nutri-Mark information - a tool more than 20,000 people have already used.

Major retailers, including Carrefour, Lulu, ADCOOP and Spinneys, have signed on and their support, Al Muaini said, is integral to the programme.

"Retailers have a major role in guiding consumer nutrition simply through the way in which products are presented to the consumer, along with their supporting nutritional information."

He added that Nutri-Mark - like any government-led front-of-pack labelling initiative across the globe - will only have a true impact on consumer decision-making "if it is trusted and understood by retailers, product owners and consumers alike".

Enhancing Public Health Outcomes
Beyond its role as a consumer information tool, the official said the labelling system could encourage manufacturers to review their product formulations and explore ways to improve nutritional value.

"Front-of-packaging nutritional information such as Nutri-mark is one of several initiatives by the Abu Dhabi and Federal Government aimed at supporting consumer choices towards healthier and more nutritious foods," he said.

"Alongside labelling, there are important initiatives to reformulate products to reduce their overall sugar, fat, salt and calorie content."

These efforts work alongside policies to improve nutrition in schools, remove advertising of unhealthy foods from public spaces, and expand access to exercise facilities and activities, he said.

"It is truly the combination of these initiatives that is expected to have an additive effect on long-term public health outcomes."