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The UK government’s planned ban on advertising F&B products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) before 9pm is being delayed until January 2026.

The ban includes the introduction of a 9pm watershed for the advertising of ‘less healthy’ food and beverage products on TV, and a restriction on paid-for advertising of these products online at all times.

It aims to help tackle obesity in children and help prevent further dietary health-related problems later in life by reducing exposure to the promotion of ‘junk food’ products. A wide range of products will be impacted, including soft drinks, confectionery, breakfast cereals, savoury snacks and more.

Though initially due to come into effect from 1 October 2025, the ban has now been delayed, instead becoming a legal duty from 5 January next year. Under the previous administration, the restrictions were already delayed twice – first until 1 January 2024, and again until October 2025.

Ministers have confirmed that the government will lay a statutory instrument to explicitly exempt brand advertising from the restrictions, following confusion and concern around the implications for pure brand advertising campaigns.

This aims to clarify the existing policy and provide guidance and certainty for food companies as they seek to invest in campaigns while ensuring adherence to regulations once in place.

While the ban will not be legally put in place until next year, a government spokesperson confirmed to FoodBev that a number of key industry stakeholders have committed to complying with the restrictions from the original October 2025 deadline. This includes ITV, Channel 4, the Advertising Association and the British Retail Consortium.

The spokesperson commented: “Obesity robs children of the best start in life and sets them up for a lifetime of health problems, which costs the NHS billions”.

“The junk food advertising restrictions on TV and online are a crucial part of our Plan for Change to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. By reducing children’s exposure to junk food advertising, we will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from UK children’s diets each year.”

Ahead of the ban, manufacturers likely to be impacted will likely be facing pressure to reformulate their products to reduce levels of fat, sugar and salt. Regulations such as the sugar tax have already led to efforts to revamp products so they better align with public health goals, with numerous HFSS-compliant products having launched in recent years.