Abu Dhabi is changing the way shoppers encounter unhealthy food in supermarkets, with authorities moving to make healthier choices easier without banning the products people like to buy.
From January 1, 2027, supermarkets across the emirate will have to stop placing high-fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) food and beverages in prominent, high-traffic areas such as store entrances, checkout counters and end-of-aisle displays.
The new Responsible Food and Beverage Placement Policy has been launched by Healthy Living in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA), the regulatory arm of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED). The policy will become mandatory from the start of next year.
The change is not a ban on junk food. Consumers will still be able to buy their preferred snacks, sweets, sugary drinks and other products classified as unhealthy. The difference will be where and how prominently these products are displayed.
Under the new rules, food and beverages classified as unhealthy under the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre’s SEHHI system cannot be placed in areas where shoppers are most likely to see them or make impulse purchases. They will continue to be available in their regular store aisles.
The policy will apply to physical supermarkets larger than 4,000 square feet. It will also extend to online supermarket platforms, bringing digital shopping spaces under the same approach.
On online grocery platforms, HFSS products will no longer be allowed to receive prominent placement on homepages, search results, promotional pop-ups or checkout pages.
That means a shopper browsing an online supermarket may still find a packet of chips, a sugary drink or another HFSS product, but such products will not be pushed as prominently through the platform’s design.
For shoppers, the change may be most noticeable at the checkout. Instead of being surrounded by tempting snacks while waiting to pay, customers are expected to see fewer less-nutritious products in these high-exposure locations.
Officials say the idea is to address impulse buying rather than restrict personal choice.
Dr Ahmed AlKhazraiji, Executive Director of Healthy Living, said the policy is based on behavioural science and evidence from other markets. The thinking is straightforward: what shoppers see first can influence what they eventually put in their baskets.
The policy therefore seeks to change the shopping environment rather than lecture consumers about what they should eat.
Mohamed Munif Al Mansoori, Director-General of ADRA, said the initiative reflects Abu Dhabi’s focus on consumer health, safety and wellbeing. Authorities also plan awareness efforts to help people better understand their food choices.
The policy was developed with several government bodies, including the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council and Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority.
Officials also consulted retailers while developing the standards, with the aim of making the requirements practical for supermarkets and online grocery businesses.
Some retailers have already moved ahead of the January 2027 deadline. Carrefour has completed implementation of the Responsible Food and Beverage Placement Standards across its stores in Abu Dhabi, according to authorities.
For supermarket operators, the policy will require changes to store layouts, promotional strategies and digital merchandising. Checkout displays and end-of-aisle promotions are important retail tools because they can encourage customers to make unplanned purchases. Moving HFSS products away from these areas could therefore change how retailers market certain food and beverage categories.
The impact will extend beyond physical shops. Online grocery platforms will also need to review how products appear in search results and promotional sections. This brings e-commerce food retail into Abu Dhabi’s wider public-health strategy.
The move forms part of Abu Dhabi’s broader Healthy Living strategy, which focuses on prevention and healthier lifestyles. The emirate has already introduced measures targeting food environments in schools, including rules aimed at encouraging healthier food choices among children.
The latest supermarket policy takes that approach into everyday shopping.
Rather than telling residents that certain foods are off limits, authorities are trying to make the healthier option easier to notice. A shopper can still walk down the aisle and pick up the same chocolate bar, crisps or sugary beverage. What changes is whether that product is waiting at the entrance, next to the checkout or pushed to the top of an online shopping page.
For retailers, the next few months will be about adapting before the January 1, 2027 compliance deadline. For consumers, the change could mean that the familiar last-minute snack near the cash counter becomes harder to find.