The recently announced UK Government’s Health and Care Bill plans to restrict in-store promotion of foods and beverages high in salt, fat, and sugar. The proposed ban also seeks to ban junk food advertisements before 9 p.m. on television and remove them online altogether. Only facts, nutritional information and ingredients may be provided online, and any sponsored searches or other types of associated advertising online will be banned. The UK Government has not yet defined the specific foods that will be considered junk food, but it is expected that the definitions will come from current legislation. Many are concerned that this type of prohibition will deter food companies from reformulating to create healthier snack choices and will create a commercial barrier against providing options for reduced sugar, fat and salt foods and drinks. This type of ban could also impact retailers who sell these types of products. The final legislation is set to take effect in April 2022.

Stay up-to-date on news around food from the officials with Regulatory Trends, our AI-based monitoring system.

Posted on 20 May 2021