Junk food adverts banned - everything you need to know

• Junk food adverts are set to be banned from October 2025
• The restrictions are being introduced to tackle childhood obesity
• Foods to be banned include cereals, ready meals, pizza and more

A ‘junk food’ advert ban is set to come into place in October 2025, introduced to tackle childhood obesity.

Under new government rules, television advertisements for certain foods will be banned from being shown before 9pm.

According to the government website, they have set out a bold ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children.

NHS data has shown that almost one in 10 reception aged children are living with childhood obesity, while one in five children aged five-years-old and over have tooth decay due to excess sugar consumption.

As part of the plans to curb childhood obesity, the government is implementing restrictions on the advertising of “less healthy” foods.

The foods that are being classed as “less healthy”, include those that are high in fat, salt or sugar.

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The policy which will come into effect in October 2025 will introduce a 9pm watershed for adverts for “less healthy” food and drink products, as well as a restriction on paid-for online adverts.

To determine which food adverts will be banned, the government has devised a scoring system which will analyse the nutritional content.

The government has also created 13 categories in which an advert for the food product could be banned. The categories include; soft drinks, savoury snacks, breakfast cereals, chocolates and sweets, ice cream, cakes and cupcakes, morning goods, desserts and puddings, yoghurts, pizza, potatoes-based foods and ready meals.

Exemptions include icing, tinned fruit, cream, syrups, plain base pizzas, garlic breads, plain and sweet varieties of potatoes, infant formula, baby food, weight control products, meal replacement products, food supplements and drinks used for medicinal purposes.

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