From Monday, January 5, 2026, advertising of unhealthy food is prohibited in the United Kingdom on television before 9:00 p.m. and in the digital environment 24 hours a day. The measure, whose processing has been underway since 2022, is part of the British government’s efforts to combat childhood obesity and promote healthier eating habits.

The new regulation, described as “decisive and pioneering worldwide” by the executive led by Keir Starmer, aims to eliminate, as the government has stated in a statement, up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, reduce the number of children with obesity by 20,000 and generate around £2 billion in long-term health benefits.

“By restricting junk food ads before 9pm and banning paid online advertising, we can eliminate overexposure to unhealthy foods, making healthy choices easier for both parents and children.“commented Ashley Dalton, Minister of Health in the United Kingdom.”We are shifting the priority of the national health system from treating disease to preventing it, so people can live healthier lives.“.

The new standard applies to a total of 13 different categories of products, including soft drinks and sugary drinks, snacks, sugary cereals, chocolate bars, ice cream, cakes and pastries, cookies and pastries, desserts and puddings, sweetened yoghurts and cheeses, and products related to pizza preparations, roast potatoes and some prepared food products.

However, the new regulation includes numerous exceptions, such as alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of less than 1.2%, sugary nuts or toppings and coatings for ice cream. According to the BBC, the decision about which products are subject to the ban is based on a scoring tool that compares their nutrient levels with their high content of saturated fat, salt or sugar.

That is why, for example, natural oats and most porridge, muesli and granola are not prohibited by the measure, but some versions with added sugar, chocolate or syrup could be affected. In this sense, brands can promote healthier versions of products that will now be banned, which is expected to encourage manufacturers to develop healthier recipes.

Although the measures came into force on a mandatory basis at the beginning of this week, the British food industry has had a period of adaptation and voluntary compliance with the regulation that has been extended since last October 1. This has meant that in traditional Christmas advertising, products such as fruits, vegetables, or fish have gained more prominence.

Brand advertising and outdoor planning

Despite the new regulation, brands are finding ways to get around the prohibitions. An example of this is the commitment to advertising focused on the brand instead of the product, since the government is allowing companies such as McDonald’s or Cadbury to distribute their advertisements, as long as they do not show identifiable products.

In addition, the measure has also led brands to divert their budgets towards other channels, such as outdoor advertising. A report from the association The Food Foundation points out that brands’ spending in this area between 2021 and 2024, the years in which the standard was created, has increased by 28%. Specifically, McDonald’s has increased its outdoor advertising by 71% in that period.

This has generated criticism among some consumer associations linked to food, since they consider that it considerably weakens the impact of the new regulation. From The Food Foundation, for example, they point out that the objective should be to prohibit all types of junk advertising aimed at children and young people.

The government, for its part, defends that the regulations have been worked closely with key agents in the food industry, as well as with associations in the sector, in order to find the balance between the commitment to the development of new healthy generations and economic growth.