Egypt’s NFSA leads national effort to curb sugar intake

Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) is leading a collaborative effort involving food producers, public health authorities, and regulatory bodies to reduce sugar consumption in the country, a Cabinet statement said.

Egypt currently faces a significant public health challenge due to high levels of sugar consumption, which are directly linked to rising rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases, the statement added.

The Global Nutrition Report announced that obesity affects 44.7 per cent of adult women and 25.9 per cent of adult men in Egypt, while diabetes impacts 23.4 per cent of women and 18.8 per cent of men.

Participants agreed that the public health impact of excessive sugar intake requires immediate and comprehensive intervention to increase consumer awareness and provide tools for reducing sugar consumption.

All parties unanimously agreed to support a three-pronged intervention strategy, following the NFSA’s regulatory mandate in Egypt, which includes:

Conducting a targeted study to identify dietary sugar sources among Egyptian consumers, addressing knowledge gaps and ensuring NFSA actions are evidence-based and aligned with global best practices.

Introducing immediate regulations to enforce standardised, mandatory food labelling with nutritional guidance on all products sold in Egypt, helping consumers better manage their sugar intake.

Launching a public awareness campaign, spearheaded by the food industry sector, to educate consumers on the importance of reducing sugar consumption, according to the statement.

Tarek El-Houby, chairman of NFSA, stresses the need to cut sugar consumption for public health. NFSA will collaborate with the food industry to introduce interventions to help Egyptians reduce their sugar intake.

This will be carried out in close cooperation with the food industry sector, ensuring interventions are evidence-based, aligned with global best practices, and tailored to the Egyptian context.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
Subediting: M. S. Salama