UK Enacts Nationwide Ban on Junk Food Adverts Before 9pm

New advertising regulations have taken effect across the UK, introducing limits on the promotion of less healthy food and drink on television and online platforms.

The Advertising (Less Healthy Food Definitions and Exemptions) Regulations 2024 came into force on 5 January 2026, setting a 9pm watershed for television adverts and a full-day restriction for online advertising of affected products.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, the rules are designed to address the exposure of children to advertising for foods and drinks considered less healthy. The government has outlined that these measures apply to a range of product types, spanning 13 categories such as soft drinks, chocolates, sweets, pizzas, cakes, and breakfast cereals.

Advertisers began following the new standards voluntarily in October 2025, several months before the official enforcement date. The implementation of the ban had been postponed from its original planned start in October 2025 to January 2026.

What the numbers show

• The government estimates the regulations will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year
• Officials project a reduction of 20,000 children living with obesity
• Health benefits are estimated at around £2 billion over time

Products affected by the advertising restrictions include not only soft drinks and sweets, but also items such as ice creams, porridges, sandwiches, and sweetened bread products. The specific categories were outlined in official government publications accompanying the regulations.

The Department of Health and Social Care stated that the measures are intended to limit children’s exposure to advertising for foods and drinks that do not meet certain health criteria. The government has published detailed definitions and exemptions to clarify which products are subject to the new rules.

Enforcement of the advertising ban follows a period of voluntary compliance by advertisers, who began adhering to the restrictions in advance of the legal requirement. The government confirmed that the regulations are now in full effect across all UK regions.

The introduction of these advertising restrictions forms part of broader efforts to address childhood obesity and improve public health outcomes, according to government statements and official documents published at the time the rules took effect.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.