The Education and Health Promotion Department, under the umbrella of the Ministry of Health, launched the smart cart initiative under the title “Eat smartly and live healthy” in Aswaq Mall Branches in Dubai and Sharjah Co-operative Society.

The initiative aims for enabling the society members to choose the right healthy meals to improve their healthy lifestyles; encourage the family members to select the right foods; increase their awareness in understanding the right food labels and encourage shops to promote for health foods only. The initiative targets the public in general and emirati families in specific .

Dr. Fadeela Al Sherif, Director of Health Promotion and Education Department at the Ministry of Health, said: “The role of parents is very important in selecting the best healthy choices for their family members. The campaign helps families by providing them with the right healthy information and data. We will help families to have a healthy trip in the supermarkets before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan especially that consumers shop randomly during the holy month”.

Khadija Al Amiri, health educator in the health promotion and education department, said: “The initiative includes a number of awareness activities like hosting a nutrition specialist who will be available at the food counter to introduce the consumers with the basics of health shopping; reading food labels in cooperation with Unilever, distributing health brochures that are



issued by our department to all supermarket shoppers in order to increase their awareness of the basics of preparing healthy meals. The brochure also includes a shopping list for all the community members to teach them planning procedures before shopping and their right choices”.

It is noted that the initiative has been launched in Aswaq mall branches in Al Mizhar, Al Warqa, Um Suqaim, Sharjah Co-operative Association “Sweihat Branch” during the holy month of Ramadan.