Food establishments in Saudi Arabia are looking to comply with menu calorie count requirements by Saudi FDA, there are a few segments for one to take initiative in. Does this apply to your food business?

If this applies to your food establishment 

There are a few methods and service providers that can help with making compliance happen, we have collated a list below.

A Food Lab is a physical location where food samples are taken for testing purposes as well as other services provided such as calorie counting, nutritional analysis and more.

There are other services/consultations in which Individuals/Companies that are certified in conducting nutrition analysis and related services.

NutriCal falls under the nutrition software category providing calorie counting, 

 via DIY software subscription, API integrations, or consulting services as well.

How do they work? How do I know they are accurate?

Food labs use food chemical, microbiological amongst other testing methods to acquire calorie count.

Other services/consultations typically use nutrition softwares, free databases and / or certified nutritionists.

NutriCal is powered by the USDA Database, and other international databases from India & other countries. NutriCal has created and continues to grow GCC’s first ingredient and food database.

Food lab’s price ranges from 200 to 600 SAR per recipe and depending on the provider it can take 10 working days or more.

Other services/consultations price range is from 60 to 80 SAR and it can take 7 working days or more.

With NutriCal, there is typically no lead as it is a DIY software allowing food establishments to get instant nutrition results and labels when they input the recipe into the system. Price-wise it turns out to be as low as 4.5 SAR with certain packages.

When food establishments comply with Food labs, one of its key benefits is that they offer long shelf life testing with each recipe/product.

Other services/consultations may offer nutritional labelings when food establishments send their recipes.

 such as Recipe, menu and brand management, Arabic & English Instant Printable & Digital Labels, 

 Menus and Integrations with other software's such as POS, Label Printers etc. 

For help, email us on info@nutrical.co or call / 

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Looking to comply with Saudi FDA's menu calorie count requirements? Compare food labs, consultations & NutriCal for cost, speed & accuracy.

Comparison Chart for Food Establishments Looking to Comply with Menu Calorie Count Requirements by Saudi FDA

The UAE has always been front of the line when it comes to making their population healthy and happy. In late 2019, UAE Cabinet approved a Nutrition Labelling Policy in regards to packaged foods to support this initiative.

In the future, food packages will have colour-coded packaging on the front of the package so that it is easy to decipher products - high or low in fat, in saturated fat, sugars and salt and make an informed choice.

This policy will only become mandatory by January 2022 and will apply to canned, solid, liquid foods but will not include meat, fish, fruits and vegetables from the fresh foods category.

Obesity, cholesterol, blood pressure have been pressing issues in the region therefore, this Nutrition Labelling Policy has been suggested with an objective of raising awareness about leading a healthy lifestyle.

ESMA will be taking the lead on the implementation of the same.

In the meantime, using NutriCal food manufacturers and brands are able to easily generate Nutrition Fact Labels in English and Arabic.

 or call / whatsapp us on + 971 52 994 1190 for more information.

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Colour Coded Nutrition Facts Labels

You may have seen shelves full of little bottles with a rainbow of liquids suddenly lined up at groceries and supermarkets. Yes, juice fever seems to be sweeping the world, and you are considered left behind if you’re not aware of these! If you haven’t jumped onto the cold pressed juice bandwagon, now is the time!

. For busy working people, cold pressed juice can be an answer to their health prayers and the easiest way to get 

. Drinking cold pressed juice is the easiest and fastest way of getting enough 

. It’s perfect for grabbing on the go and sipping. We can also call it ready to drink vitamins. 

Adding cold pressed juice to your diet is a surefire way to improve your health and ensure you’re getting loads of beneficial nutrients. These juices are good for people in different age groups. You can drink at any time and anywhere. 

What is special about cold-pressed juices?

The nutrients of the fruits and vegetables are preserved and protected through a method called high pressure processing (or HPP), that makes the drink pricey. Since the cold press juicer presses the fruits and vegetables to extract the juice, no heat is involved and no other processes than pressing, all the health benefits will remain intact.

, to complete the taste. Having these leafy greens in one bottle makes for a complete diet plan. Enthusiasts profess that this drink gives countless health 

It’s health restoration benefits have made it earn the name of a “life saver” juice. It helps reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It balances blood sugar and also has a big part for 

They call it the miracle juice, usually made using 

It is making waves as a cancer-fighting drink. It has gained a lot of attention for its magic like properties that benefit the body and brain as well as skin improving benefits. 

coupled with turmeric - an orange turmeric juice makes for a winning combo. This immunity boosting juice is full of vitamin A and C. 

Ingredients such as aloe vera, cayenne, apple cider vinegar, coconut water, activated charcoal, probiotic blends, chaga, pineapple, spirulina, chlorella, moringa, grapefruit etc are used.

If we had to throw in one simple suggestion - use 60-70% vegetable and 30-40% fruits while creating these blends. Fruits despite bringing a lot of nutritional goodness and taste profile, can have high contents of naturally occurring sugar. 

Are you a health food brand, a meal plan company, nutritionist, or already a juice brand?

Introduce and improvise your cold-pressed juice company by making the packaging more appealing and even customised. Consumers these days have many options to choose from - make sure you highlight nutritional facts to attract consumers to your cold pressed juice brand and product. 

Use Nutrical’s solution (www.nutrical.co) to launch your products in the market with transparency and authenticity. 

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Cold-pressed juices: pure, nutrient-packed, and trendy! Brands, highlight nutrition facts to stand out. Need help? NutriCal simplifies label creation.

Cold Pressed Juices - Everything You Need to Know

Calorie Count and Allergy Keys for recipes in less than 30 days - Tashas Group Launch Plans into the Saudi Market.

tashas - a brand and a word synonymous with good food in the UAE for a few years now has grown and increased its portfolio of restaurants and currently operates 9 venues in the UAE.

Natasha Sideris the woman behind tashas, Flamingo Room by tashas, Avli by tashas, and Galaxy Bar has had a of vision being in every major city in the world. With that, early this year they mapped their plans into the KSA market - this was the purpose for a business partnership with NutriCal.

Is your brand expanding into KSA? NutriCal can manage your food menus. Read about the regulations here.

NutriCal team’s primary contact was with the Managing Director of Middle East who oversees all operations when it comes to international expansion and franchising, followed by the Chefs’ team.

Due to limited time being an important factor, Tashas Group opted to go for ‘end to end project management’ as a service to get all their recipes/menu items calorie counted, flagged for major allergens, and highlighted for meal-type information, for example- vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free etc.

Calorie count for each menu item is required as a part of the regulatory framework by the Saudi FDA. 

In less than 30 days from first contact, deal-related formalities, and recipe sharing; NutriCal shared the final recipe analysis with the Tashas Group team. 

For F&B groups, restaurant chains, and international food brands, the things to take care of prior to restaurant opening or brand launch are numerous- with NutriCal - we ensure to take care of your menu analysis needs in a timely and efficient manner.

For help, email us on info@nutrical.co or call / whatsapp us on + 971 54 994 1190 for more information.

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Tasha

"NutriCal helps Tashas Group launch in the KSA market by providing calorie count, allergy flags, and meal-type information in less than 30 days. Learn more here. 

Case Study: With NutriCal, Tashas Group Becomes KSA Ready

Preparing Your F&B Group for Upcoming Nutritional Labelling Mandate With NutriCal Is In Fact Easy

Read about how SSP Emirates managed to label SKUs in over 13 outlets in less than 6 months.

 also known as “food travel experts” have locations worldwide. NutriCal was contacted by 

 - the business unit that handles food outlets at Abu Dhabi and Dubai International Airports.

SSP handles 13 outlets across both airports and the brands included

The directive to kick off the project for Nutritional Labelling came from the General Manager to prepare all food outlets managed by SSP Emirates for the upcoming mandate of calorie publishing by Dubai Municipality.

A team comprising the General Manager, HSE Officer, Procurement, and IT got involved in reviewing the options available.

After conducting two virtual meetings with and answering all the questions 

 was selected vs another software due to-

Six months after implementation, SSP Emirates has completed phase 1 of its project. It now displays ingredients, allergens, meal suitability, calories, and macronutrients for all the “grab and go” items in the form of labels. 

As per the HSE officer, apart from achieving the nutritional analysis by working with us, their process for allergen publishing and keycards which used to be manual and time-consuming has now been automated too.

In the next phase of the project, they are working on adding the same information on “shelf-talkers” and ala carte menu too via QR code.

The unit in-charge of several outlets and brands have been receiving positive feedback from the consumers after the information has been displayed as the information is all clear and there is no ambiguity for the customer while making a selection.

NutriCal is now working with other units of SSP such as Bahrain and others under SSP Group worldwide.

As a Catering Company, F&B consultant, and Restaurant Chain - let us know about your requirements for nutritional and allergy labeling and we at 

Contact us on + 971 54 994 1190 via phone or WhatsApp to know more. Alternatively, email us at info@nutrical.co to fix an in-person or virtual meeting. 

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SSP Group

Discover how SSP Emirates successfully labeled SKUs in 13 outlets in 6 months with NutriCal, ensuring compliance with Dubai’s nutritional labeling mandate.

Case Study: How SSP Emirates managed to label SKUs in over 13 outlets in less than 6 months

As a new food brand few things that are priority as you are kicking off-

The above is what is the premise of the business partnership between the food brand 

Thrriv, an up and coming “better for you” food brand founded by Radhika Sil, the Head of Development aka healthy food magician.

Thrriv, the business has two primary verticals 

a. Supply of food direct to consumer, via online and offline retailers 

b. Consulting for various food brands under the umbrella of healthy / premium food.

Radhika, with 2 decades worth of experience in the business, has used many softwares, services and solutions, but NutriCal, she says has “changed the landscape of how they develop products”. Why, you may ask?

This brand focuses on creating premium products using specific ingredients some of which may or may not exist in the USDA database but may be added upon request into the NutriCal system. These requests for the addition of ingredients into NutriCal are received and completed within 2 - 24 hours.

Typically, with product development - plenty of time is wasting ‘coordinating’ with nutrition, quality and other teams. With the software, not only is there flexibility of creating recipes without any back and forth but also ease of information sharing.

For Thrriv, once the recipe / product has been developed in NutriCal, the outputs are shared with

Finally due to the above reasons and more, for Thrriv team, product development time from ideation to launch has been cut by 20-25 days.

, our mission is to enable small and medium food brands to launch and expand with our solution- the success of Thrriv in the market and their team’s satisfaction with our solution is a testament to the same.

, Noon and more and offline in Spinneys, Geant, Carrefour & more.

 to create upto 3 free Nutrition Facts Labels in English & Arabic.

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Discover how Thrriv streamlined product development and market expansion with NutriCal, from recipe creation to labeling, pricing, and compliance. 

Case Study: Expand Your Food Brand Rapidly Using NutriCal | Thrriv

With the lockdowns and restrictions in place, with the increasing number of deaths due to the virus, with news about an economic recession happening - it sure feels like we are on the shoreline and see a tsunami coming.

Embracing it might sound like a stretch, although accepting the situation and adapting to it is the mindset that is required.

For the Restaurant and overall F&B Industry - the focus has to shift 

. The focus must shift from in-store consumer experience toan online consumer experience. How is that possible?

Yes everyone is posting beautiful pictures of their dishes and menu items on Instagram - and why shouldn’t they? Food images are amongst the top shares on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Although one might have to up their game and start creating unique content. Here are some ideas-

With the whole debate regarding food aggregators / delivery companies vs restaurants - restaurants are trying to attract consumers directly to their website / social media for orders.

Majority of consumers go to the likes of Zomato, Uber Eats, Deliveroo etc due to convenience but another thing that is important to consumers are 

Starting a loyalty program wherein consumers can earn points with each order, get their 5th meal free or other creative ways to keep them coming back could be effective.

This might sound basic and obvious to many but it is an important point. Having an updated clear and consistent menu across all platforms is key at this point.

Even when consumers do start going down with the ease in restrictions - physical menus are something everyone is going to stay clear of given the hygiene factors.

’ option wherein restaurateurs can easily publish Dish Name, Description, Price, Calories and a QR Scan Code for more information.

Needless to say, a food menu is the most essential object in any food establishment. Digitized menu supported by QR code is the best strategic solution that will prove to be successful to prevent any contagious virus. The guest scans a QR code on his/ her mobile, sees the menu and places the order via the mobile without downloading any app.

This temporary policy was put into place to show some flexibility with regards to nutrition labelling so restaurants and manufacturers can sell certain packaged food products during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Barring this information - now more than ever we understand that consumers have become extremely aware of what food they consume. As people try to strengthen their immunity to prevent themselves from getting the virus they are looking at the ingredients they consume, their health benefits and overall nutrition information.

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Shift your food business focus online with NutriCal. Learn how to create digital menus, loyalty programs, and transparent nutrition labels to adapt to the 'new normal.' Contact us today!

Adapting to the 'New Normal' - Shifting your Food Business focus Online

Like there wasn’t already enough on the plates of restaurants, cafes and food businesses - they are being tasked now to create dishes that are “healthy” given the times we are in.

While we all eagerly wait for a vaccine to come out to protect us from the Coronavirus (COVID19), consumers are looking to 1. Prevent the infection 2. Strengthen their immunity. Which revolves around-

As a food tech and health tech startup - we have created a simple guideline of immunity building and strengthening foods to help recipe and menu creators in the F&B Industry -

Antioxidants usually play the role of fighting free radicals in your body. Free radicals are linkedin to the occurrence of many diseases and illnesses such as diabetes, blood pressure, cancer etc. They also help with overabundance of inflammation in your body which results in a better immune system.

Consuming foods that contain “good bacteria” when it comes to maintaining gut health. This can affect your body’s ability to be able to defend itself against infections.

Zinc is a trace element / mineral closely linked with immunity. There are multiple studies that show people with low zinc levels are further likely to catch infections. Foods rich in zinc are-

Dark green and red vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals that are essential to maintain a body’s immune system.

As their name suggests - superfoods have their ‘super’ press due to the nutrient density found in these ingredients which in turn provide many health benefits including making your immune system strong.

Make sure to include these ingredients in your recipes and products and highlight their benefits to educate your customers.

NutriCal Health & Nutrition Software works as a great tool to identify the right ingredients and helps create recipes with health benefits.

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Boost immunity with antioxidant, probiotic, and zinc-rich foods. Use NutriCal to create healthy, nutrient-packed recipes and menus for your restaurant.

A Guide to Creating Recipes and Food Products With Immunity Building Ingredients

As per a Nielsen survey, approximately 67% of consumers in the GCC follow a particular diet to avoid non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as blood pressure, diabetes etc.

As restaurant owners or food businesses, you would want to make sure to accommodate every type of customer who comes across your online business or walks into the door - vegan, plant based, vegetarian etc.

People following a vegan diet avoid all types of animal products including meat, seafood, milk and other dairy products as well as honey.

There are various reasons why they follow this diet - 1. It could be for the animals, 2. For health reasons or 3. For the environment to reduce their carbon footprint due to adverse effects of animal agriculture.

Below we mention some ways to veganize your menu.

There is always a concern with the vegan diet about protein, therefore to ease the process we suggest few vegan ingredients with high protein below- 

Studies have shown that veganism has beneficial effects such as lowering the risk of cancer, reducing arthritis symptoms, improving kidney functions etc.

Luckily for the demographic in UAE, many Indian and Arabic dishes are “accidentally” vegan - so Dal Tadka, Falafel, Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Gobhi Aloo, Dosa, Idli could be hot favourites.

When you do veganise your menu and add these dishes make sure to put a “v” or “ve” next to the dish name and advertise the menu on your different social media channels.

To understand what are the best ingredients to use for maximum nutrition benefits and also calculate calories and macros of the recipes at your food establishment / vegan restaurant - 

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vegan

Learn how to veganize your menu with plant-based protein alternatives, dairy substitutes, and vegan-friendly desserts. Discover high-protein vegan ingredients and ensure nutritional accuracy with NutriCal.

'Veganizing' Your Menu

, the most common food allergies include cow’s milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, Shellfish, Wheat, Soy and Fish. Some others are Linseed, Sesame seeds, Peach, Banana, Avocado, Kiwi fruit, Passion fruit, Celery, Garlic, Mustard Seeds, Aniseed, Chamomile.

As a food manufacturer, restaurant, cafe, brand - it is one's responsibility to check and call out ingredients that can cause allergic reactions.

In NutriCal - Health & Nutrition Software we have now included ‘Suitable for’ and ‘Contains’ fields to help with the same.

Users can manually and easily check relevant boxes of who the food is suitable for and what it contains.

The ‘Suitable for’ field has the following options-

The ‘Contains’ field has the following options-

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Easily manage allergy and dietary information with NutriCal. Check 'Suitable for' and 'Contains' fields to cater to various dietary needs and allergens.

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