Dubai launches A-to-E food rating system to help shoppers make healthier choices

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has launched a new service that will assess the nutritional value of food products and assign them ratings from A to E, helping shoppers make more informed decisions about what they buy.

Introduced through Dubai Central Laboratory, the service uses laboratory testing to verify the accuracy of nutritional information displayed on food packaging before translating the results into a simple, traffic-light-style grading system.

The five-grade system, ranging from A to E, will classify products according to their nutritional value and approved assessment standards, providing consumers with a clearer indication of the nutritional quality of different foods.

The service is designed to address the accuracy of information provided on food packaging, giving shoppers access to more reliable nutritional data when choosing products.

It will also help food manufacturers, suppliers and companies verify the nutritional information associated with their products through laboratory testing, providing evidence that the information they supply is accurate.

By combining scientific testing with a simplified grading label, the municipality aims to make nutritional information easier for consumers to understand and support more informed purchasing decisions.

Dubai Central Laboratory already conducts food sample testing through its microbiological and chemical analysis facilities, which form part of the municipality's existing laboratory services.

The new service builds on these capabilities by linking laboratory verification of nutritional information to a graded label that communicates the results to consumers.