UK HFSS Advertising Rules Explained: A 2026 Guide for Food and Drink Brands
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
TL;DR: UK rules restrict ads for less healthy (HFSS) food and drink on TV and on-demand between 5:30am and 9pm, and on paid online media at any time — but brand advertising that doesn't feature a specific less-healthy product can still run.
The UK now has some of the strictest food advertising rules in the world. If your business makes, sells or markets food and drink, understanding them is no longer optional — the regulator has started issuing rulings, and getting it wrong means pulled ads and wasted budget.
This guide explains, in plain English, what the HFSS advertising rules are, what counts as 'less healthy', and how brands can keep advertising with confidence.
What are the HFSS advertising rules?
HFSS stands for 'high in fat, salt or sugar'. Rules that came into force in October 2025 restrict advertising for products classed as less healthy.
On television and on-demand services, such ads cannot run between 5:30am and 9pm. On paid-for online media, they cannot run at any time of day. The aim is to reduce children's exposure to less healthy food and drink.
What counts as 'less healthy'?
Whether a product is caught depends on the Government's Nutrient Profile Model (NPM), a scoring system that weighs the balance of fat, salt, sugar, energy and 'positive' elements like fruit, vegetables, fibre and protein.
Crucially, the NPM score doesn't always match what shoppers assume. Some products people think of as indulgent fall outside the rules, while others they consider harmless are caught. Never guess — score the specific product.
The brand vs product distinction
This is the single most important nuance. The rules target ads for identifiable less healthy products, not brands in the abstract.
That means brand-building advertising which doesn't put a specific less-healthy product front and centre can still run. It's a narrow line, and the regulator is actively clarifying where it sits, so tread carefully — but it leaves real room to keep telling your brand story.
What food and drink brands can still do
First, reformulate. If you lower the fat, salt or sugar enough to move a product below the NPM threshold, it is no longer restricted and can be advertised freely. The rules deliberately reward this.
Second, lead with products that aren't classed as less healthy — many ranges include options that fall outside the rules entirely.
Third, invest in brand-level storytelling that builds fame and affinity without hanging the ad on a specific HFSS product. Constraint tends to push brands toward stronger, more distinctive creative.
Enforcement: the ASA is already ruling
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) enforces the rules under the CAP Code, and its first rulings have landed. Instagram ads from M&M's and a Morley's franchise were banned, while ads from Domino's, KFC, Papa Johns and an Uber Eats spot were cleared.
The pattern is instructive: whether an ad survives turns on the specific product shown and how it is classified — not on the brand's general reputation for being indulgent.
A quick compliance checklist
Before you run a food or drink campaign, confirm four things. Has the specific advertised product been scored against the NPM? Does the media placement respect the TV watershed and the total online restriction? Is the ad built around a brand story or a compliant product, rather than a restricted one? And is there a documented rationale you could show the ASA if challenged?
Quick FAQ
What does HFSS mean?
HFSS stands for 'high in fat, salt or sugar' — the shorthand for food and drink products classed as less healthy under the UK Government's Nutrient Profile Model.
When did the UK HFSS advertising rules start?
The restrictions came into force in October 2025. They limit less-healthy food and drink ads on TV and on-demand between 5:30am and 9pm, and ban them on paid online media at any time.
Can HFSS brands still advertise at all?
Yes. Brand-level advertising that doesn't feature a specific less-healthy product can still run, products reformulated below the threshold can be advertised freely, and non-HFSS products in the range are unaffected.
The brands treating these rules as a death sentence are the ones that only ever advertised the product shot. The rules don't ban you from building a brand — they ban lazy shortcuts. Reformulate where you can, lead with your story where you can't, and you'll come out with stronger marketing than you started with.
— Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The HFSS rules don't end food advertising — they reward reformulation and brand-building over product-led shortcuts.
Has every product in your next campaign been scored against the Nutrient Profile Model?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
This guide is for general information, not legal advice; always check the current CAP Code and ASA guidance, or take professional advice, before running a campaign.
Related reading
Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
Comments