FOOD outlets in Bahrain should offer customers the choice of a ‘healthy menu’, according to councillors.
A proposal to make it mandatory for restaurants, cafés and bakeries to provide two sets of menus has been referred to Health Minister Dr Jalila Al Sayyed for review.
It is being spearheaded by Southern Municipal Council’s services and public utilities committee chairman Abdulla Abdulaltif.
The Health Ministry has asked food outlets to display the calorie count on its menus as part of the government’s renewed efforts to tackle obesity.
Following this, nutritional information about food is being mentioned on actual and online menus, food delivery platforms and food labels.
The idea was first floated by the Muharraq Municipal Council in September 2018 following a similar initiative by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority.
Bahrain’s Health Ministry subsequently approved it and Under-Secretary Dr Waleed Al Manea told the GDN in October 2018 that guidelines were being drawn up.
The rules were approved in November 2018, with implementation from January 1, 2019.
However, it has not been put into effect owing to the lack of a tool or standardised methodology for calorie calculation.
Based on a parliamentary proposal, restaurants and cafés were given a year to start displaying calorie counts on menus.
However, following the outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, things were delayed again.
“It is good that food and beverage outlets have started displaying the calorie counts,” said Mr Abdullatif.
“Our proposal compliments this move and ensures that two sets of menus are provided for healthier options.”
He added that diners should themselves take the initiative of seeking healthy options, without waiting for authorities to enforce it.
According to the latest statistics, a third of the nation’s citizens aged above 18 is overweight and 42.8 per cent is obese.
The 2018 National Health Survey estimated a higher number of citizens were either obese or overweight compared with non-Bahrainis – 76pc versus 65.5pc.
More Bahraini men were found overweight compared with women (36pc versus 29.7pc), while more women were found obese compared with men (47.2pc versus 39.2pc).
The GDN reported earlier this year on the alarming increase in obesity rates in Bahrain which health officials said raised a “red flag”.
A GCC Standardisation Organisation 2013 decision stipulates maximum trans-fat content of vegetable oils and soft, spreadable margarines as 2pc of the total fat, and the trans-fat content for all other foods as 5pc of the total fat content including ingredients sold to restaurants.
Meanwhile, Parliament financial and economic affairs committee chairman Ahmed Al Salloom, who spearheaded the implementation of the calorie counts decision, disagreed on the proposed diet menu move saying that not all restaurants are ready to provide two sets.
“Let Bahrain first start implementing the calorie counts decision before introducing any other concept,” he said.
“Forcing the healthy menu is well-intentioned but businesses that don’t accommodate such customers would see it a waste of money and resources.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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