Bahrain is finally moving to put calorie counting details on menus in restaurants and cafés after nearly eight years of debating the proposal.
It is now set to begin tentatively rolling out before October under a phased national plan led by the Industry and Commerce Ministry, following groundwork completed by the Health Ministry.
The first phase will target international and regional brand cafés and restaurants already applying calorie counts elsewhere in the GCC, before expanding to local brands and eventually smaller outlets to allow them more time to adjust to the measure.
Calorie count in Saudi Arabia
Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee chairman Ahmed Al Salloom said the breakthrough came after years of pushing for action. “The Health Ministry has already made the necessary checks for the first phase, and the Industry and Commerce Ministry is now ready to proceed,” he said.
“So the move is tentatively set for October. By April 2027, I believe the entire country will be implementing it.”
He said modern technology had removed many of the obstacles that appeared to have delayed enforcement. “Nowadays there are technologies within phone apps and AI-assisted mechanisms that make such a move easier. The regulation is no longer complicated,” said Mr Al Salloom, who is also the chairman of the Better Life Society and the treasurer of the Bahrain Chamber.
“This has taken eight years but it is a step in the right direction.”
Introducing the regulation was originally approved in 2018 but was never enforced, even though Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman rolled out mandatory calorie labelling.
Mr Al Salloom
Mr Al Salloom, who first proposed the idea years ago, did not hide his frustration.
“Bahrain led the way with this initiative, but every Gulf country moved ahead while we continued to stall,” he said. “We already require nutrition labelling on supermarket products. It is only logical to demand the same transparency from restaurants and cafés.”
With nearly one-third of Bahraini teenagers classified as overweight or obese, MPs believe clearer nutritional information could influence eating habits and reduce excessive sugar, salt and fat consumption.
“This is about giving people the information they need to make better choices,” Mr Al Salloom added. “The delay has gone on for far too long. It is time to act.”
Mr Tarradah, right, with Dr Al Qattan
Calls for action have intensified in recent weeks, led by Capital Trustees Board chairman Saleh Tarradah, who warned that Bahrain risks being left behind while every other GCC country has already enforced similar rules.
“Consumers today are more aware than ever. They want to track nutrition, calories and macros,” he said. “There are mobile applications that can scan and provide this information, but they are not official and do not follow a unified, regulated system like those adopted across the GCC.”
Mr Tarradah stressed that implementation need not be burdensome for businesses.
“The display of calories and ingredients does not necessarily have to be printed on boards or menus – it could be made available through scannable systems,” he explained.
A US fast food chain in Doha with the calorie count displayed in electronic order menus
Capital Trustees Board vice-chairwoman Dr Khulood Al Qattan described the issue as both a consumer right and a public health necessity.
“People deserve to know what they are consuming – whether it comes in a package or is served on a plate,” she said. “Today, Bahrain stands as the only Gulf country that has not applied this rule, despite being among the first to propose it.”
She noted that many outlets in Bahrain already possess the required data through their regional or global operations.
“With the right push, we can catch up quickly because a large number of restaurants and cafés already have calorie information available through their regional or global systems,” Dr Al Qattan said.
“Applying this regulation would enhance transparency, strengthen consumer confidence and support healthier lifestyle choices.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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