Junk food adverts are banned on television and online starting today (Jan 5) as part of a drive to tackle childhood obesity.
The UK-wide ban stops food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) being advertised on TV before 21:00 and at any time online.
Under the rules, which will be enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), 13 categories of products, including soft drinks, chocolates and sweets, pizzas and ice creams, can no longer be advertised on TV before the watershed or at any time online. The banned products are high in fat, sugar and salt.
Under the rules, adverts for items often perceived as healthy are restricted, such as “sandwiches of any kind”, pretzels and “all products predominantly found in the breakfast cereal aisle”, which includes porridge oats and muesli.
There is an extensive list of often incongruous exceptions and caveats. However, some products that have been reformulated to meet the junk food nutrient rules are still banned as they are perceived to contribute to the obesity issue, such as certain ranges of crisps, chips and pizza.
Plain oats and most porridge, muesli and granola are not banned under the crackdown, but some versions with added sugar, chocolate or syrup could be affected.
Firms can still promote healthier versions of banned products, which the government hopes will lead to food makers developing healthier recipes.
Although the rules come into force today, the UK advertising industry has voluntarily been adhering to them since October to to make sure ads are correctly shorn of products that breach the government’s complex regulations.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said it is committed to helping people eat healthily and has also been voluntarily abiding by the new restrictions since October.
A spokesperson for FDF stated: “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.”