Healthy vs. Ultra-Processed Food: A Guide for Saudi Arabia & the Gulf

Why does ultra-processed food matter in the Gulf?

The Gulf has some of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the world, and diet is a big part of the story. In Saudi Arabia:

• 23.1%of people aged 15+ are obese
• 45.1%are overweight
• 14.6%of children aged 2 to 14 are obese
• 10.2%of adults eat five servings of fruit and veg a day

Source: GASTAT, 2024

Across the GCC: The International Diabetes Federation estimates that diabetes rates in the GCC countries are among the highest in the world (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2025).

Governments are acting. Since 1 January 2026, Saudi Arabia taxes sweetened drinks by how much sugar they contain, following a GCC-wide decision. Drinks with 8g or more of sugar per 100ml pay the highest rate, while drinks under 5g pay none (Arab News). The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has also required calorie counts on restaurant menus since 2019, banned partially hydrogenated oils and set salt limits for bread (Bin Sunaid et al., 2021).

The global evidence points the same way. A 2024 review in The BMJ covering nearly 10 million people linked ultra-processed food to 32 health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, anxiety and early death (Lane et al., 2024). In the UK, adults who ate the most had a 79% higher risk of obesity and a 30% higher risk of abdominal obesity (Rauber et al., 2021). In the US, it now makes up 57% of adults’ calories (Juul et al., 2022).

Most of this research shows a link rather than proof of cause. But the pattern is consistent, and the fix is simple: eat more whole foods, more often.

What are the 4 types of processed food?

The NOVA Food Classification system was designed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. It sorts food by how much processing it goes through, and it’s the system most researchers use, including the Saudi studies above.

#1

Group 1: Unprocessed and minimally processed

These are whole foods with their vitamins and nutrients intact, taken straight from plants or animals and kept close to their natural state.

Minimally processed foods are only changed to make them safe and easy to store: removing inedible parts, drying, fermenting, crushing, roasting, boiling, freezing or pasteurising. Nothing is added. No oil, fat, sugar or salt.

In a Gulf kitchen: dates, fresh fruit and vegetables, plain laban and yoghurt, eggs, fresh fish and chicken, lamb, rice, freekeh, oats, lentils, chickpeas and fava beans, nuts and seeds, tahini, Arabic coffee, plain tea, spices like cardamom and saffron, dried herbs, and water.

The base of every meal

#2

Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients

These are extracted from natural foods by pressing, grinding, crushing or refining. Used in moderation to cook Group 1 foods, they make meals delicious without throwing them off balance.

Quality matters here. Some, like old or reused frying oil, can break down and turn rancid, so choose good-quality ingredients and store them well.

In a Gulf kitchen: olive oil, ghee, butter, sesame oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, honey and date syrup (dibs).

Small amounts, for cooking

#3

Group 3: Processed

These are Group 1 foods with salt, oil, sugar or vinegar added. They usually have just two or three ingredients.

It’s easy to forget that freshly baked khubz from your local bakery and a can of chickpeas are technically processed. That doesn’t make them “bad”.

In a Gulf kitchen: fresh bakery khubz and samoon, halloumi, white cheese and akkawi, canned chickpeas and foul, canned tuna and sardines, pickled turnips and cucumbers, olives, and salted nuts.

Fine as part of a balanced meal

#4

Group 4: Ultra-processed

These are industrial products made mostly from substances extracted from other foods, like fats, starches, added sugars and hydrogenated oils, plus additives such as artificial colours, flavours and stabilisers.

Research suggests that heavy processing breaks down the natural structure of foods (the “food matrix”), which can change how nutrients are absorbed. The real harm comes when these products replace the whole foods your body needs. They’re often easy to spot because they contain ingredients you’d never use at home, but many hide in everyday foods we take for granted.

Limit where you can

Common ultra-processed foods in the Gulf

• Packaged crisps and salty or sweet snacks
• Packaged biscuits, wafers and filled maamoul
• Ice cream and frozen desserts
• Chocolates, sweets and candy
• Cola and other fizzy drinks
• Energy and sports drinks
• Instant noodles, soups and powdered drink mixes
• Flavoured laban and fruit yoghurts
• Chocolate and flavoured milk drinks
• Sweetened juice drinks
• Cheese spreads, triangles and margarine
• Frozen samboosa, spring rolls and ready meals
• Frozen pizza and boxed pasta dishes
• Chicken franks, mortadella and luncheon meat
• Nuggets, strips and breaded fish fingers
• Packaged sliced bread, burger buns and croissants
• Packaged cakes, pastries and cake mixes
• Sugary breakfast cereals and cereal bars
• Meal replacement shakes

How do you spot ultra-processed food on a label?

Flip the pack over and read the ingredients list, not the front. Words like “natural”, “high protein” or “wholegrain” don’t tell you how processed something is. Ask yourself:

• Is salt or sugar near the top of a long list? Especially when the rest are ingredients you don’t recognise.
• Does it contain high-fructose corn syrup or glucose syrup? Dextrose and fruit juice concentrate are sugar too.
• Does it contain hydrogenated or interesterified oils? Look for زيت مهدرج on Arabic labels.
• Does it contain “cosmetic” additives? Flavours, flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, sweeteners, thickeners, and foaming, gelling or glazing agents are there to make food look and taste better, not to nourish you.
• Is it marketed hard? Bright packaging, cartoon characters, end-of-aisle displays and big Ramadan promotions are usually a sign.
• Would you keep these ingredients in your own kitchen? Maltodextrin and soy protein isolate are giveaways.

If you tick two or more, it’s probably ultra-processed. That doesn’t mean never. It just shouldn’t be your everyday default.

1 Arabic label words to look for

Most products in the Gulf list ingredients in both Arabic and English. These are the words that signal ultra-processing:

Also look for E-numbers (like E471 or E621), which are additive codes used on GCC labels.

2 Use the SFDA traffic light

Many products in Saudi Arabia now carry the SFDA’s colour-coded front-of-pack label for calories, sugar, fat, saturated fat and salt. Green is low, amber is medium and red is high. It doesn’t tell you if a food is ultra-processed, but lots of red is a good reason to check the ingredients.

What are healthy alternatives to ultra-processed food?

You don’t need to overhaul your diet overnight. Pick one or two swaps this week and build from there.

FAQ

The bottom line

Aim to eat mostly natural and minimally processed foods (Group 1) and freshly made meals, the kind Gulf kitchens have always been built on: dates, laban, grains, lentils, vegetables, fish and chicken.

Be wary but not fearful of processed foods (Groups 2 and 3). Cook with olive oil and ghee in moderation, and enjoy fresh khubz and cheese without guilt. Now that you know the range within each group, keep reading labels.

Limit ultra-processed foods (Group 4) where you can. That’s where you’ll make the biggest difference to your health. Small, steady swaps add up.