UAE: Healthy Lifestyles Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake.

In the first six months of 2022, the UAE imported more than 41,000 tonnes of food each day. Numerous factors, including the growth of the population, the strong demand for imported products by foreigners living in the country, and the significant expansion of the tourism sector as a result of the opening of a large number of new hotels and resorts in recent years, are expected to contribute to the increase.

The diversity of this nation, in which around 88% of the population is comprised of non-natives, has resulted in diverse eating habits that have spawned an array of cuisines and a diverse need for fresh produce.

Consumers in the UAE have increased their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. The government's commitment to addressing the alarming rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease among the population, as well as the recent pandemic, have altered local consumption patterns; according to a study commissioned by the Irish Food Board, fifty percent of consumers from the United Arab Emirates stated that they increasingly choose foods that help strengthen their immune system; fifty-two percent agree with the importance of the traceability factor in the products they consume; and fifty-six percent believe that the quality of the ingredients used in the products they consume is

The United Arab Emirates imports the vast majority of the fruits and vegetables accessible in the nation, and there is a significant demand for high-quality European goods.

Fresh Up Your Life, a project of CSO Italy financed by the European Union, will assist the promotion of high-quality, nutritious, and healthful fresh goods in the United Arab Emirates until 2025, with a focus on sustainability, supply chain transparency, and product traceability. Participating Italian businesses include Apofruit Italia, Cico-Mazzoni, Conserve Italia, Lagnasco Group, Oranfrizer, Origine, and Unacoa. The initiative will concentrate on kiwis, apples, pears, blood oranges, and pureed tomatoes, given that pasta is the largest imported commodity in this region.

In the United Arab Emirates, "Made in Italy" cuisine is prized for its distinctive tastes and aromas (the most differentiating characteristic for 26% of customers), its traditional and authentic recipes (21%), and its high-quality ingredients (17%). Additionally, Italy ranks first in terms of quality, with 20% of UAE customers believing that Italian food items have superior distinguishing features than those of other nations. (According to CRIF and Nomisma). Western expatriates who are already acquainted with European meals are the parts of the public most likely to realize the value of European agricultural goods.

Italy is one of the UAE's leading suppliers of kiwis (42% of the category's total value), peaches (32%), and plums (6%).

Paolo Bruni, president of CSO Italy, said, "The increasing desire for authentic goods and the trend toward a healthy lifestyle are significant growth drivers for Italian fruit and vegetables, which are recognized and appreciated by local customers for their outstanding quality." "With the Fresh Up Your Life program, we will promote the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables via both B2B and B2C activities, while rewarding the quality, transparency, and traceability of our supply chains. The next meeting will take place in February during Gulfood, the largest show in the Middle East for the food and beverage sector and a global crossroads of flavors and trends.

Italy is the European leader in kiwi production with 330,150 tons in 2020, of which CSO Italy members produce 246,824 tons (75 percent of the total). In 2020, Italy and Poland will produce a total of 2.6 million tons of apples, of which 1.7 million tons will be produced by CSO Italy members. In 2020, Italy will produce 611,000 tons of pears, of which 306,000 tons will be produced by CSO Italy member firms. In 2020, tomato puree production surpassed 1 million tons, of which 530,000 tons were produced by CSO Italy members.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UAE is one of just four nations in the world where all citizens can afford a balanced diet, along with Switzerland, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. According to "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022," the predicted daily cost of a nutritious meal in the UAE between 2017 and 2020 was between $2.75 and $3.11. A healthy diet is based on a variety of unprocessed or minimally processed foods, is balanced across food groups, and includes whole grains, legumes, nuts, an abundance and variety of fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of eggs, dairy products, poultry and fish, and small amounts of red meat, according to the report.