Abu Dhabi Specifications ‫معاييـر أبوظبـي الفنيـة‬

ADS 37/ 2023 37/ 2023

First Edition ‫اإلصدار األول‬

Abu Dhabi Specifications for food

‫معايي أبوظب الفنية للتصنيف الغذائ‬
classification intended to be
‫لتسويق األغذية لألطفال‬
marketed to children

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 NO Table of Content Page

1 Amendment Page 1

2 About the Abu Dhabi Quality & Conformity Council (ADQCC) 2

3 Acknowledgment 3

4 Foreword 4

5 The Working Group 5

6 The Objective 5

7 About the Specifications for Food Classification 6

8 The Scope 6

9 Terminology & Definitions 7

10 Food classification specifications 8

11 Appendices 12

12 References 14

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 1. Amendment Page
To ensure that each copy of this technical document (Abu Dhabi Technical Specification) contains
a complete record of amendments. The Amendment Page is updated and issued with each set of
revised/new pages of the document. This ADS is a live document that can be amended when
necessary. Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) takes the necessary actions to make it
universally available, collect all feedback as received, and arrange the meeting of the Working Group
(to update Abu Dhabi Technical Specifications for food classification intended to be marketed to
children), in order to discuss the feedback received on the document for the purposes of updating
and amending.

Edition Number Year of Approval Number of Pages Sections Changes Notes

New Edition
First Edition 2023 16 -

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 2. About the Abu Dhabi Quality & Conformity Council

Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) is an Abu Dhabi government
entity established in accordance with Local Law No. (3) of 2009 to raise the
quality of Abu Dhabi’s exports and products traded locally. QCC consists of a
council of regulators and industry with a mandate to ensure provision of
quality infrastructure in line with global standards.
o QCC’s functions are divided into six key areas:
• Developing standards and specifications
• Capacity building of metrology systems
• Strengthening testing infrastructure
• Launching conformity schemes
• Protecting consumer interests
• Ensuring fair trade

o QCC’s key stakeholders include regulatory authorities, consumers,

retailers and wholesalers, industry, conformity assessment bodies (CABs)
and importers.
QCC supports regulators and government organizations through
offering quality and conformity facilities, expertise and resources that
allow them to implement products safety and compliance requirements
and regulations. Additionally, QCC works towards promoting a culture
of quality and protecting the interests of consumers. In doing this, QCC
seeks to promote the Emirate’s competitiveness to become one of the
world's most attractive regions for investments and human capital, and
to support the competitiveness of national industries in world markets.

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 3.Acknolewdgement
ADQCC would like to thank the members of the Working Group listed below.

Name Entity
S.#
1
Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA)
Khadija Saeed Al Shehhi
(Chairman of the Working Group)
2 Fatema Al Mazrouei Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA)
3
Ali Malek Department of Economic Development (DED)
4 Shamsa Al Dhahery Agthia Company
5 Dr. Mutamed Ayyash United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)
6 Mariam Al-Mansouri Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC)
7 Faten Nasser Albreiki Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC)
8 Rawan Al Merhi Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC)
9 Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority
Ahmed Hussein Nasser
(ADAFSA)
10 Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority
Mohamed Ahmed Alsaadi
(ADAFSA)
11 Zubair Faras Nestle Company
12 Swaraj Rajendran Al Ain Farms
13 Mustafa Kawtharani McDonald’s UAE
14 Dr. Rabih Kamleh Hayel Saeed Anam (HSA) Group
15 Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) /
Amna Al- Nuaimi
Central Testing Laboratory.
16 Khuloud Al-Taleei Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) /
Central Testing Laboratory.
17 Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) /
Nawal Al -Kaabi Central Testing Laboratory.

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) would also like to extend its sincere thanks to:
• Professor Dr. Mike Rayner, Professor of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK, for
consultation, revision and provision of feedback on the draft of food classification.
• Dr. Amita Attlee, Associate Professor, Nutrition and Health Department, United Arab Emirates
University (UAEU), for consultation, revision and provision of feedback on the draft of food
classification.

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 • Dr. Ayoub Al Jawaldeh, Regional Adviser in Nutrition, World Health Organization (WHO) - Regional
Office for Eastern Mediterranean Region, for consultation.
• We would like also to thank the Genomics and Health Affairs Office - Abu Dhabi Executive Office,
for their support and for coordinating communication with local and international experts.

4.Foreword
In view of the current challenges of the high prevalence of obesity rates among children in the Emirate
of Abu Dhabi(1-2) and the obesity-related diseases that are closely linked to nutrition(3), in addition
to the psychological repercussions that the children and adolescents endure due to such negative
dietary habits and behaviors and eating disorders(4) as well as the consequent massive economic costs
driven by low productivity and increased public spending on health(5), as scientific studies argue that
the child development outcomes is inextricably linked to their nutritional behavior(6).

Further to the “Abu Dhabi's Early Childhood Development Strategy for 2035 ”(7), which aims at
ensuring that every young child enjoys good health and that all children have access to the necessary
foundations for healthy physical and mental growth and development, and to implement the
directions and ambitions of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi of creating a healthy society, in line with the
national agenda for improving health and the third United Nations Global Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG 3 or the third global goal); which is to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all
at all ages”(8),

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) has been engaging with concerned partners in the
Emirate of Abu Dhabi (Department of Health (DOH), Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC),
Department of Economic Development (DED), Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC),
and the Genome & Health Affairs Office - Abu Dhabi Executive Office with regard to the food intended
to be marketed to children and its impact on them (9-14), which includes online advertising for food
intended to be marketed to children. Seeking to find ways to regulate this process, it was concluded
that there is no reference or means to distinguish food that is considered as a part of a healthy diet.
Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes food classification as an essential part
of the regulations of food intended to be marketed to children (15), where it has developed several
regional food classification models for food intended to be marketed to children.

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 5.The Working Group
The concerned working group was formed by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC)
in February 2023 upon the request submitted by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), so as
to develop Abu Dhabi technical Specifications (for food classification intended to be marketed to
children), with the participation of a number of strategic partners from the government and private
sectors.

6. The Objective
By developing these specifications, the working group aims to act as a reference tool for food classification,
which is designed for the policy makers regulating the food marketed to children, including any policies that
regulate the online advertising content of foods intended to be marketed to children, within the age group
from (36 months to 18 years), in order to achieve the following desired goals:

▪ Reducing the marketing influence of certain foods on children, which affects their behaviors
and food choices.
▪ The long-term impact expected from improving the children's dietary habits, thus contributing
to decreasing the high obesity rates.
▪ Redirecting advertisers towards marketing healthy food choices for a healthy society.
▪ Preparing the private sector and promoting awareness among private companies, food
manufacturers and restaurants, in order to promote children’s health and public health.
▪ Encouraging food manufacturers and restaurants by improving the contents and nutrients of
food products.

7. About the specifications for food classification

- These specifications, as they stand on their own, will not impact the food marketing process
aimed at children. Yet, they act as a non-mandatory reference or tool. However, they shall
become mandatory in the event that they are used as a reference for food classification for
any initiatives or legislation regulating food marketing to children.

- While taking into account the nutrient limits contained in these specifications, all products
permitted to be marketed through online advertising must initially comply with any UAE
standards or other relevant technical regulations.

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 - The specifications are developed to be relevant to the local context; thus acknowledging
the food habits and local consumption patterns in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

- These specifications are developed based on the WHO Regional Office for Europe nutrient
profile model (Second Edition) (16) prepared by the World Health Organization in 2023,
after conducting a benchmarking study that included several models used internationally
and some local guides, including the WHO European Region Model 2015 (17), The Pan
American Health Organization Nutrient Profile Model (18), UK Nutrient Profiling Technical
Guidance (19), Nutrient profile model for the marketing of food and non-alcoholic
beverages to children in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (20) and WHO Nutrient
Profile Model for South-East Asia Region(21), as well as the Abu Dhabi Technical
Specifications for “SEHHI” Program (22).

8. The Scope
The scope of application of these specifications includes the following:

1. All types of food provided in the online advertising content intended to be marketed to
children, within the age group of (36 months to 18 years).

2. These specifications do not cover products intended for children under the age of 36 months
(infant formula, artificial infant feeding, complementary and supplementary foods for infants
and young children, and the like). For that, please refer to “Cabinet Resolution No. (257) of
2020 Regarding the Regulation and Marketing of Food Products for Infants and Young
Children” and any other relevant legislations.

3. They also should not be used as a reference for other marketing processes, unless a
decision/resolution or binding legislation is issued by the concerned authorities in this regard.

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9. Terminology & Definitions
For the purposes of using these technical specifications, the following terms and definitions shall be used
as follows:

Term Definition
Child Every human who is born alive and under eighteen years of age.
Any raw, primary, manufactured or semi-manufactured material or part thereof
intended for human consumption either by eating or drinking, including
Food beverages, bottled drinking water, pickles, spices, chewing gum, and any material
used in the manufacture, preparation and processing of food, but it does not
include cosmetics or tobacco, or substances that are used only as drugs.
Food Classifying food according to its nutritional composition to distinguish food that
Classification is part of a healthy diet from food that is not part of a healthy diet.
Marketing Promoting, distributing, selling, and advertising a product by all means.
Online Any advertisement by electronic means that aims at promoting the sale of a
advertising product or the provision of a service, directly or indirectly.
Information, data and online services that can provide value to the recipient in
Content
specific contexts.
Drinks that contain large amounts of caffeine, sugars, additives and stimulants
Energy Drinks
such as Guarana, Taurine and L-Carnitine.
A measuring unit of esters of certain fatty acids with glycerol, known as
Total fats
glycerides. These acids could be saturated or unsaturated.
Saturated fat is a type of dietary fat present in food that is usually solid at room
Saturated fat temperature. The most common sources of saturated fat are meat and dairy
products.
All monosaccharides and disaccharides present in food, excluding
Total sugars
polysaccharides.
Sugars added during food processing or packaging, which include free sugars,
such as brown sugar, sugar cane juice, honey, dextrose, fructose, fruit nectar,
Added sugars
high fructose corn syrup, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, maple syrup, molasses,
and raw sugar and sucrose.
Non-sugar Artificial non-sugar sweeteners such as aspartame, low-calorie sweeteners such
sweeteners as xylitol and other low-calorie sweeteners that replace sugar in food.

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 A crystalline product consisting mainly of sodium chloride. It is extracted from
the sea or from salt deposits in underground rocks or from naturally salty water.
Salt
It is processed to reach a certain nutritional purity that is calculated according to
the following equation: Salt equivalent = sodium x 2.5.

10. Food classification specifications1

The product shall not be permitted to be marketed if each 100 grams
of such product exceed the permissible limits
Products included in the
category Total Added Non-sugar
Total fat Saturated Sodium
Food category (Examples) sugars sugars sweeteners
(g) fat (g)
(g) (g) (g)
(g)

Chocolate and chocolate sweets,

sugar sweets (including jelly; hard
candy; chewing gum and bubble
Chocolate and
gum; caramel; marzipan sweets or
sugar candy,
almond paste; and licorice candy)
energy bars, 0 0
1 Granola bars and similar cereal bars
sweet toppings
Chocolate spread and other sweet
and desserts
products to be spread on
sandwiches
Nut butters (such as peanut butter)
Honey

Cookies or sweetened biscuits

Cakes, biscuits, Cakes and sponge cakes
pastries, other Pies and pastries
2 sweet baked Cooked and baked desserts
goods and dry Pancakes, waffles, and French toast 3
0 0 0.1
mixes intended Scones and Soda bread
for preparing Dry mixes used to prepare this
these baked Tofu desserts and vegetarian
goods desserts

Local bread and raisin bread

(including brioche)
3
Leavened bread (including bread
Bread, baking
made from all types of ground
products and 71 12.5 0.5
grains, such as white or whole
crackers
wheat)
Flatbread or unleavened bread (such
as pita flatbread)
4
Salty snacks and
crackers

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 4.1 Salted biscuits or crackers
Yellow corn (including popcorn
Salty snacks and and salted corn snacks)
7 0 0 0.1
crackers Potato, vegetables or grains
chips and snacks
Salted pretzel
4.2 Nuts Nuts, seeds, peanuts
0 0 0.1
(regular, salted, or flavored)
5
Drinks

5.1 Natural fruit Unsweetened natural fruit and

and vegetable vegetable juices that are 100% made Permitted
juices from natural fruits and vegetables
5.2 Fruit and vegetable juices (including 0 0
juices reconstituted from
concentrated juices)
Fruit juices and
Smoothies (including smoothies that
drinks
contain yogurt, where yogurt is not
the main ingredient)

5.3 Fresh milk, long shelf milk, milk

Unsweetened made from milk powder, milk made
milk and dairy from evaporated milk, yogurt, kefir
drinks milk, fermented milk and fermented Permitted
yogurts (unsweetened)
5.4 Sweetened milk and yoghurt drinks 3.3
Sweetened milk Milkshakes and coffee (with milk or
0 0
and dairy drinks yogurt/dairy as the main ingredient)
Concentrated milk
5.5 Dairy-free plant-based drinks 3 0 0
Dairy-free (sweetened and unsweetened) such
plant-based as almond, oat, and coconut milk
drinks Milkshakes or coffee (in which dairy-
free milk is the main ingredient)
5.6 Drinks that contain stimulants such
Energy Drinks as Taurine, Guarana and Not permitted
Glucuronolactone
5.7 Flavored drinks (carbonated and
regular)
Fruit and plant-based nectar
Water and flavored water (including
mineral water)
Soft drinks,
Other drinks Sweetened beverages
bottled water,
(regular or carbonated); 0 0
and other
Concentrated fruit syrup, juice
beverages
powder
Coffee, coffee substitutes, teas,
herbal teas/drinks, and other hot
drinks made from
seeds/beans/grains
Ice cream or popsicles made with
Ice cream dairy products or dairy-free plant- 3.3 0 0 0.1
6
based products

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 Ice cream or sorbet
Frozen yogurt
Breakfast cereals of all kinds (such
Breakfast as all kinds of oats, corn flakes,
7 17 12.5 0 0.5
Cereals chocolate breakfast cereals, muesli,
granola)

Yogurt, cream,
8 and other
similar foods

Unsweetened
Sour milk or yoghurt; Labneh;
yogurt and
fermented yogurt or sour milk (such
8.1 other similar Permitted
as kefir yogurt); Greek yogurt
foods
(regular unsweetened)

Sweetened and flavored yogurt

(including sweetened or flavored
Sweetened Greek yogurt, sweetened or flavored
yogurt, cream, fermented yogurt)
and other Sour milk or yogurt that contains 1
8.2 3.3 0 0 0.1
similar foods additives (such as fruit or muesli)
Cream (including fresh cream,
whipped cream, sour cream,
double-fat milk)
Plant-based yoghurt alternatives
Hard, soft, and medium hard
cheeses
9 Cheese 17 0.5
Processed cheese (including spread
cheese)
Canned ready-to-eat foods (such as
baked beans)
Pasta, noodles, rice or grains with
sauce, pizza
Ready-to-eat Sandwiches and wraps (including
and instant hamburgers and hot dogs)
10 17 6 12.5 0.5
foods and pre- Ready-to-eat salads
cooked food Ready-to-eat meals consisting of
carbohydrates, meat, vegetables, or
all of them
Soups (ready-to-eat, canned, chilled,
dry or concentrated)

Butter, other Butter, butter blend, margarine, oil

11 21 0.5
fats and oils spread, vegetable oil, ghee

Fresh or dried
Fresh or dried pasta and noodles
12 pasta, rice and 17 12.5 0.5
Rice and grains
grains
Meat, poultry,
eggs, fish, Meat, poultry, fish and seafood
13 seafood and (fresh and frozen) Permitted
other similar Eggs
foods, either

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 fresh, frozen or Salted or dried fish and seafood
dried (such as Sahnah “Salted fish”, Awal
“Dried fish”, and other similar foods)
Dried meat
Processed meat and poultry (such as 17
canned tuna, smoked fish, and fish
Processed meat,
fingers)
poultry, fish and
41 Processed meat and poultry (such as 0.5
other similar
mortadella, sausages, breaded
foods
chicken, canned meat and poultry)
Salted fish (as in salty fish)
Salted plant- Tofu 17
based foods Processed plant-based foods that
15 0 0 0.5
that are similar are similar to meat (such as veggie
to meat burgers)

Fresh, frozen or dried fruits and

Fresh, frozen vegetables without any additives Permitted
and dried fruits, (including starchy vegetables, root
16
vegetables and and tuber vegetables, and herbs)
legumes Fresh, frozen and dried legumes
without any additives
Dates
Processed
fruits,
17
vegetables and
legumes
Processed vegetables and legumes
Processed and
(canned, dried, pickled, breaded, or
canned fruits,
17.1 coated in flour or a mixture) 3 0 0 0.5
vegetables and
Processed fruits (canned, pickled,
legumes
dried)
Stock cubes
Cooking sauces (including pasta
sauce)
18
Dips and dipping sauces 17 0 0 0.5
Sauces, dips and Salad dressings
dressings Seasonings (including tomato
ketchup)
1 Reference is made to the model developed by the World Health Organization in the WHO Regional Office for
Europe nutrient profile model: Second Edition and it’s amended according to the local context. Please review the
appendices for amendments in the nutrient limits.

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 11. Appendices

Appendix No. (1) How to use the table of food classification specifications.
- The model contains 18 food categories and examples of foods within each category. Nutrients
include total fat, saturated fat, total sugars, added sugars, non-sugar sweeteners, and sodium.
Nutrient limits are set to match the guidance provided in the World Health Organization models.
Limits for some nutrients have been modified.

- Marketing through online advertising, has been permitted for four food categories, regardless
of the nutrient limits, which are: “Natural fruit and vegetable juices”, “Unsweetened milk and
dairy drinks”, “Unsweetened yogurt and other similar foods”, “Meat, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood
and other similar foods, either fresh, frozen or dried”, and “Fresh, frozen and dried fruits,
vegetables and legumes”. Marketing is not permitted for one category, regardless of the
nutrition limits, which is “Energy drinks.”

- To test a product, it is necessary to determine the food category that the product falls into, and
then check all nutrition limits. The product must not exceed any of its nutrient limits per 100g/ml
in order to be permitted to be marketed through the relevant online advertisement.

- If the online advertisement contains several products, all products must, individually, meet the
relevant nutrient limits listed in the table below. In the case of complex foods that are sold
ready-to-eat and instant (such as frozen meat samosas), they must fall within the “category” of
“Ready-to-eat and instant foods and pre-cooked food” in the table below.

- To convert salt into sodium, every 1g of sodium equals 2.5g of salt.

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 Appendix No. (2) Amendments made to the nutrient limits contained in the
table above.
Modifications to the nutrient limits contained in Item No. (10) in comparison with the WHO Regional
Office for Europe nutrient profile model (Second edition) issued by the World Health Organization:

- In the “Salty snacks and crackers” category, nuts were separated from other salty snacks and
crackers, to avoid setting limits for the natural fats in the nuts (23).

- In the “Salty snacks and crackers” category, a limit on total fat has been set, to avoid allowing the
marketing, through online advertising, of products high in hydrogenated oils that abound in salty
snacks and crackers (24).

- Marketing, through online advertising, of 100% natural fruit and vegetable juices has been
permitted to encourage manufacturers to change the nutritional profile of beverages in the local
market (25).

- Marketing through online advertising has been permitted for unsweetened dairy products,
yoghurt and other similar products, to comply with local consumption habits, and to encourage
marketing of them as a healthier option instead of the sweetened and flavored options provided
by the local dairy companies.

- The limit for fat in dairy products has been raised in the following categories: “Sweetened milk
and dairy drinks,” “Edible ice cream,” and “Sweetened yogurt, cream, and other similar foods”
to 3.3 g to be consistent with locally manufactured full-fat dairy products (26).

- Marketing of energy drinks through online advertising is not permitted in accordance with the
laws of the UAE regarding the sale of energy drinks to children.

- A limit has been set on non-sugar sweeteners in breakfast cereals, due to the harmful effects of
non-sugar sweeteners on children's health (27-28).

- The total sugar limit in the “sweetened yogurt, cream, and other similar foods” category has been
removed and replaced with limits on added sugars and non-sugary sweeteners, to discourage
their consumption by children, given their harmful effects on children’s health (29-30).

- Based on the feedback received in this regard, calories are removed for the category “Ready-to-
eat and Instant Foods and Pre-Prepared foods” and calorie limits in general are removed, to focus
on the nutrients and nutritional value of the product instead of calories.

- Salted and dried fish and meat have been added to the category “Meat, poultry, eggs, fish,
seafood and other similar foods, either fresh, frozen or dried” to take into account the local
consumption pattern and traditional foods.

- In the “Processed and Canned Fruits, Vegetables and Legumes” category, the total sugars have
been removed and replaced with a limit of non-sugary sweeteners, as they are harmful to
children’s health.
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12. References
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