A ban on the advertisement of so-called “junk” foods has been implemented across the UK, with all adverts for foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) now banned on television before 9pm.
As well as a television ban, adverts for what the Government called “less healthy” foods will be banned online at all times.
Government said it expects the decision to “remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year”, as well as reducing the number of children living with obesity “by 20,000… delivering around £2 billion in health benefits over time”.
Minister for Health Ashley Dalton stated: “We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life.
“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods – making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.
“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.”
Foods that can’t be advertised include pizza, ice cream, doughnuts and chocolate, as well as some cereals, porridges, meals and sandwiches. Reformulated or “healthier” versions of products may still be advertised as long as they meet the requirements of a nutrient scoring tool, used by Government to determine what products are classed as HFSS.
“Further progress relies on businesses having clear guidance and regulatory certainty to ensure manufacturers have the confidence to continue making these investments.”
A spokesperson for the Food and Drink Federation commented: “Food and drink manufacturers are committed to working in partnership with Government and others to help people make healthier choices, including by voluntarily abiding by new advertising restrictions since October 2025 and adhering to existing rules restricting the advertising of less healthy food on children’s media.
“Investing in developing healthier products has been a key priority for food and drink manufacturers for many years and as a result, our members’ products now have a third of the salt and sugar and a quarter of the calories than they did ten years ago. However, further progress relies on businesses having clear guidance and regulatory certainty to ensure manufacturers have the confidence to continue making these investments.
“We hope to work with Government to ensure food manufacturers have the necessary certainty to shape a healthier future.”
Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, assistant director of food at the British Retail Consortium (BR5C), said: “Food retailers are supporting their customers to make healthier choices through better calorie labelling, reformulation of products, and portion control. HFSS advertising restrictions are part of the Government’s toolkit in the battle to reduce obesity and improve health outcomes. The vast majority of BRC members have already been voluntarily applying these new policies, so there will not be a big change for them.”
Alice Wiseman MBE, vice president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said: “The reality is that what we eat and drink is heavily influenced by cheap prices and clever marketing campaigns backed by multi-million-pound budgets. We simply don’t have the freedom to choose.
“There is no quick fix, but we know from our experience of tackling tobacco harm, that one of the key ways to reduce illness and death caused by harmful products is to introduce tighter restrictions on advertising those products.
“There is of course further to go, but today’s legislation is a significant and welcome step forward in protecting people from industry influence and reducing the number of people living with – and dying from – preventable illness and disease.”
