Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Restaurant and café owners were given guidelines on listing calories on menu cards at a workshop at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday.
Last week the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) gave a 14-month deadline to restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries with more than five branches across the Kingdom to provide calorie labels on all food items including packed products, meals, and beverages.
The SFDA has launched this initiative in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
Addressing the workshop, chemical analyst at SFDA Mishari Al-Quwaizani said that restaurants will be required to give their food items to specialized labs for examination so as to provide accurate calorie estimations.
Restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries will be monitored by officials from the municipality who will make tours to ensure the information provided to consumers is accurate.
Al-Quwaizani said that violators will be punished without specifying the punishment since, he said, the bylaw is still being reviewed by responsible authorities.
He added that the authorities are also studying the role of dieticians since restaurants can hire health specialists to help provide better options for the public. “Restaurants need to provide healthier options and calorie labels to keep up with the market, or else they will be left out,” Al-Quwaizani said.
The SFDA has issued guidelines for restaurants and coffee shops on how to put calorie labels and where to display these to grab attention.
Restaurants and cafes may display calorie labels near the cashiers, on menu boards, food menus, drive-thru windows and smart device applications.
The calories are to be displayed in a column next to meals and beverages prices.
The content of the guideline was reviewed by a scientific advisory group that has been benefiting from the health organizations in the UK, Finland and Canada, said Al-Quwaizani.