The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has responded to what appear to be further delays and lack of clarification on HFSS advertising guidance.
Restrictions on advertising for HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar) products are due to come in on 1st October 2025. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) set out its guidance in December following a consultation but has now said the guidance needs yet further revision.
An FDF spokesperson said: “It’s incredibly disappointing that industry is once again facing delays to the publication of the details we need for the implementation of the food advertising restrictions.”
Unclear and confusing
The FDF called for clarity, saying: “Government originally announced a delay to the regulations in 2022 to give industry more time to prepare, but we’re still waiting for guidance to be published and the information that has now been shared is unclear and confusing.
“Government’s intention was for the rules to restrict advertising of less healthy food and drink and that brand advertising should be allowed. The information shared today casts doubt on this, and neither the legislation nor the anticipated regulator’s guidance gives businesses certainty on whether this will be the case. Without clarity on this, and the rest of the guidance, manufacturers don’t have the information they need to properly plan for the regulation coming into force in less than 10 months’ time.
“Food and drink brands typically plan their advertising campaigns 12-18 months in advance, so this lack of detail and potential change to what is in scope will cause a lot of uncertainty and may require businesses to make costly changes to their advertising plans. We urge the Government and regulator to provide clarity on this issue as soon as possible.”
The Advertising Standards Authority full statement can be found here.
