Overview
- The restrictions, in force from 5 January, bar adverts for products high in fat, salt or sugar on TV from 5:30am to 9pm and prohibit paid online ads at all times.
- Only items within 13 specified categories that fail a nutrient profiling test are covered, with healthier formulations still eligible to be advertised.
- Brand-only campaigns without identifiable products remain permitted, a concession introduced after industry pressure and legal threats.
- Outdoor advertising is largely exempt except near schools and leisure centres, and reports show companies shifting spend to billboards and other out-of-home media.
- Advertisers followed a voluntary code from October 1 ahead of enforcement, and the government estimates the rules could remove up to 7.2 billion calories a year, prevent about 20,000 childhood obesity cases and deliver roughly £2 billion in health benefits.