UK junk food advertising ban comes into force

A landmark UK ban on junk food advertising has come into force today, restricting the promotion of less healthy food and drink products on TV before 9pm and online at all times.

The new regulations apply across the UK and aim to cut children’s exposure to advertising for foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), supporting wider efforts to tackle childhood obesity and diet-related ill health.

The advertising ban forms part of a broader package of food policy reforms, including mandatory healthy food sales reporting for businesses and the extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to cover more products, including sugary milk-based drinks. The government is also banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16.

The government says the measures are world-leading and will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, reduce the number of children living with obesity by around 20,000, and deliver an estimated £2bn in long-term health benefits.

Giving every child the healthiest start in life

Evidence consistently shows that advertising influences what and when children eat, shaping preferences from an early age and increasing the risk of obesity and diet-related illnesses.

In England, 22.1 percent of children are living with overweight or obesity when they start primary school, rising to 35.8 percent by the time they leave. Tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admissions among young children aged five to nine.

Minister for Health Ashley Dalton said:

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.”

Ban extends beyond junk food

The government said it has worked closely with health campaigners and food industry leaders to balance its commitment to raising healthier children with supporting economic growth. They also thanked food and drink companies for complying with the restrictions on a voluntary basis since October, ahead of the rules taking legal effect today.

The new advertising ban extends beyond products widely regarded as junk food and also captures some breakfast cereals and porridges, sweetened bread products, and certain ready meals and sandwiches. Products are assessed using a nutrient profiling scoring tool that weighs overall nutrition against levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar.

Plain oats and most porridge, muesli and granola products are exempt, but versions containing added sugar, chocolate or syrup may fall under the restrictions. The rules still allow manufacturers to advertise healthier product versions, which ministers hope will drive reformulation and innovation.

The rules apply only where unhealthy products can be seen by audiences. This means fast food brands can continue to advertise using brand-only campaigns, without featuring specific products. Companies that fail to comply risk enforcement action by the Advertising Standards Authority.

Campaigners and young people welcome milestone

Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said:

It’s been one battle after another, but we are finally going to see children being protected from the worst offending junk food adverts. This is a welcome and long-awaited step towards better protecting children from unhealthy food and drink advertising that can harm their health and wellbeing. These new restrictions will help reduce children’s exposure to the most problematic adverts and mark real progress towards a healthier food environment.

For the government to achieve its ambition of raising the healthiest generation ever, this is an important policy as part of a broader approach to preventing obesity-related ill health.”

Farid, 17, a Bite Back activist, added:

Today is a milestone moment – one that young people across the UK have been campaigning for over many years. We welcome the government taking action to put children’s health front and centre, to protect young people from the predatory and manipulative marketing of unhealthy food by junk food giants.

These new rules are an important first step that begins to rip down the wallpaper of junk food advertising that surrounds young people on TV and online every day. We’re proud to see this change finally happen. But this cannot be the end.”