Healthcare | Sunday 26 March, 2017 3:25 am |

Right Bite Express, the on demand delivery service of Right Bite, and Nathalie’s Coffee & Kitchen have been certified by Dubai Municipality during the pilot phase of its Eat Healthy Live Healthy campaign. Both the restaurants will now be privileged to use the Municipality’s Healthy Food Logo on its menu card.

The certificates were presented during a ceremony held recently at the Dubai Municipality Headquarters, with the two food establishments becoming the only ones that received Full Restaurant Certification, having found to be in compliance with the civic body’s food safety guidelines.

A total of 13 food establishments qualified for the certification during the pilot phase were subsequently awarded with the Healthy Food logo, launched as part of the initiative to indicate that the dishes offered comply with the criteria of an approved balanced diet. There were 34 restaurants and cafes that applied for the pilot certification program, with only a handful found compliant to the Municipality specifications. Right Bite Express and Nathalie’s emerged as the first two eateries to receive the Healthy Food certificates for the full menu category, after the Food Permits and Applied Nutrition Section of Dubai Municipality's Food Safety Department was able to verify that at least 20 per cent of their menu passed the stringent criteria of the initiative.

Nathalie Haddad, Founder and Managing Director of The Right Bite Nutrition and Catering Services L.L.C., the mother company of Right Bite Express and Nathalie’s Café, said, “This is a significant accomplishment for us as it demonstrates our brand’s commitment to health and wellness for the consumers. I’m proud to be a part of this initiative by the Dubai government and we are fully supportive of this campaign. Now that they have a measured baseline through this certification process, we are confident they will continue to build on this success and chart future improvements to bolster awareness on healthy eating.”

Khalid Mohammad Sharif Al Awadhi, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Environment, Health and Safety Control, said, “Eat Healthy, Live Healthy initiative aims to encourage food establishments to provide healthier options for consumers that can be recognized by the official Healthy Food logo. With this initiative, we hope to provide consumers with clearer, accurate and evidence-based information about the food they eat, therefore helping them make informed decisions about their purchases.”

“In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of meals prepared or eaten outside homes. In the same manner, obesity-related diseases are also rapidly increasing among the population. In Dubai, currently, the daily calorie for most of the residents comes from ready-to-eat food from restaurants, groceries and cafes. This initiative aims to address this concern. We are keen to make Dubai the happiest and most sustainable city in the world in terms of providing a healthy and safe living environment, that is why we have put strict food regulations in place,” Al Awadhi explained.