UK junk food ban: New UK-wide restrictions on advertising “less healthy” food and drink came into force on January 5, 2026, banning adverts for products high in fat, salt or sugar from appearing on television before the 9 pm watershed and in paid-for online advertising at any time.
Ministers say the rules are aimed at cutting children’s exposure to marketing for foods linked to obesity. The Department of Health and Social Care said the crackdown could remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, prevent around 20,000 cases of childhood obesity and deliver about £2 billion in long-term health benefits.
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Under the regulations, only products in 13 categories, described by the government and regulators as the biggest drivers of childhood obesity, are in scope. Those categories include items such as soft drinks, confectionery, pizzas, cakes and ice creams, but also extend to some breakfast cereals and porridges, yoghurts, sweetened bread products, main meals and sandwiches.
Whether a specific product is caught by the ban depends on a nutrient scoring system that weighs overall nutrient content against levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar. As a result, some “plain” options may be unaffected, while sweetened or chocolate-coated versions could be restricted, Sky News reported.
The government said advertisers had already been asked to comply voluntarily ahead of the legal start date, with many brands beginning to adapt campaigns from October 2025.
The rules focus on adverts where a restricted product is identifiable, meaning companies can still run brand advertising provided it does not show a specific product covered by the restrictions. The approach, including the treatment of brand advertising, has been closely watched by health campaigners and industry since the policy was delayed to January 2026.
Enforcement will be handled through the UK advertising rule system, with the Advertising Standards Authority expected to take action against firms that breach the new requirements.
Officials point to persistent concerns about children’s health. The government says more than one in five children in England start primary school overweight or obese, rising to over a third by the time they leave, and it also cites tooth decay as a major driver of hospital admissions among young children.
Separately, NHS figures show obesity in reception-aged children in England at 9.2% in the latest measurement, while other public health data puts tooth decay in five-year-olds at around 21%.
