UK restricts ads promoting HFSS foods from this week, including a total online ban

07 January 2026

From Monday 5 January, the United Kingdom is restricting the advertising of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt online and on TV, as an effort to improve public health and tackle child obesity.

Almost one in ten children in the UK (9.2%) are living with obesity and one in five have tooth decay by the age of five.

This regulation bans any online advertising of food products considered high in fat, sugar, and salt and limits TV ads to after 9 p.m. Previous restrictions only concerned certain TV programmes with a significant audience among children. The government estimates the ad ban will prevent around 20,000 cases of childhood obesity.

This legislation only covers adverts in which unhealthy products can be seen but still allows brands to place commercials using their name and brand identity. Similarly, healthier products from the same brand can still be promoted.   

Decisions over which products fall under the ban are based on a scoring tool, balancing their nutrient levels against their levels of saturated fat, salt, or sugar.