A growing concern:Obesity is a major concern in the Middle East and some people are now looking for healthier chocolate.
None of Lily O' Brien's products contain hydrogenated fats.
8 A GROWING CONCERN
“Obesity is a major problem in the Middle East and some people are now looking for healthy chocolate, whether organic or sugar free,” explains Khaled Rashwan, pastry chef at Ritz-Carlton Doha.
He is not wrong — in Doha alone, it is predicted that 73% of women and 69% of men will be obese by 2015. According to the International Association for the Study of Obesity, Qatar has the sixth highest rate of obesity for boys in the MENA region.
Lily O’Brien’s is proud of the fact that none of their products contain hydrogenated fats. Food service manager, Caroline Thompson explains how the industry is counteracting such widespread health issues in the region: “Obesity is an important social problem throughout the region and there is therefore a growing commitment among confectionery brands to limit advertising to children under 12 years.
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Lower sugar and lower fat chocolate offerings are increasingly available and clear on-pack ingredient and nutritional declarations are becoming legalised in many jurisdictions in the world.”
Pierre Feghali, general manager at EMF also reports an uptake in their healthier options, which can only be a good sign for the region: “We sell more and more sugar-free chocolate fillings and specialities to chocolatiers, and even hotels, which have started offering sugar-free corners [in the restaurants].”
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