The 13 foods banned under the new UK advertising rules, including most breakfast items

You don’t need a GCSE in home economics to understand why chocolate, ice cream and doughnuts are all classed as ‘junk food’ under new government advertising rules. But what about porridge, crumpets and bagels?

Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, unveiled details of the restrictions on TV and social media adverts on Tuesday, describing the new legislation as a key step in tackling childhood obesity.

‘Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems, and costs the NHS billions,’ he said. ‘This government is taking action now to end the targeting of junk food ads at kids, across both TV and online.’

The new rules, set to come into force on 1 October 2025, will use the nutrient profiling model (NPM) to determine which food or drink categories are considered as ‘less healthy’ (and therefore subject to advertising restrictions).

There is a two-stage process for defining a ‘less healthy’ food or drink product. The product needs to both:
- fall within one of the product categories below and
- score 4 or above for food, or 1 or above for drink when applying the 2004 to 2005 NPM using the 2011 technical guidance.

RELATED: Should porridge be considered junk food under new UK ad rules?

Curious about what this means for your favourite snacks? Here’s a closer look at the foods that will no longer appear on your screens before 9pm...

Soft drinks

First on the banned list are ‘prepared soft drinks containing added sugar ingredients’.

[NB: only products that contain added sugar are in scope – drinks without added sugar, including milk, unsweetened smoothies and alcoholic drinks are excluded.]

Examples include:

• soft drinks, including lemonades, colas and fruit-based squash drinks and energy drinks

• juice-based drinks

• fruit juices or smoothies (including smoothies with dairy)

• milk-based drinks and milk substitute drinks with added sugar or sweeteners (flavoured and unflavoured, for example, soya, almond, oat, hemp, hazelnut or rice and so on)

• milkshakes and hot chocolates

• coffee and milk-based drinks, including those with additions (such as mochas, frappes, caramel, vanilla, chai and hazelnut lattes and caramel macchiato)

• tea and coffee

• kombucha

• fermented (yoghurt) drinks, defined as a composite milk product obtained by mixing yoghurt with a liquid (milk, water or fruit juice) with or without other ingredients to create a drink (for example, kefirs, lassis, and pre and probiotic drinks)

• breakfast drinks or shakes, which could be consumed in addition to or as a substitute for breakfast. For example, a smoothie or shake with a carbohydrate component such as oats or wheat

• powders, sachets, pods or syrups, including:
  - coffee or tea powders, sachets, pods or syrups
  - 2 in 1 (coffee and milk powder) or 3 in 1 (coffee, milk powder and sugar)
  - hot chocolate powders, pods and syrups
  - malt drink powders
  - milkshake powders
  - protein powders
  

Savoury snacks

Crisps are the main offender here. The restrictions include: ‘savoury snacks whether intended to be consumed alone or as part of a complete meal, such as crisps, pitta bread-based snacks, pretzels, poppadums, salted popcorn and prawn crackers’.

• crisps

• savoury crackers, rice cakes and biscuits sold and eaten as alternatives to crisps

• corn puffs

• potato hoops

• tortilla chips

• chickpea or lentil-based crisps

• fried, flavoured or seasoned chickpeas

• seaweed-based snacks

• Bombay mix

[NB: raw, coated, roasted or flavoured nuts and seeds, dried fruit, fruit crisps or chips and trail mix made up of dried fruit and nuts are excluded from the advertising ban.]

Breakfast cereals

Perhaps the most controversial on the list. The government has deemed ‘all products predominantly found in the “breakfast cereal” aisle of a retailer’ as unhealthy.

Examples include:

• granola

• muesli

• ready-to-eat cereals

• porridge oats, including instant porridge and other hot oat-based cereals

Confectionery

‘All products predominantly found in the “confectionery’’ aisle of a retailer, including chocolate and sweets, and ‘free from’ confectionery products,’ the new regulations outline.

‘Products marketed as “protein bars” or “high protein” may fall under this category if they possess the ingredients or other features of a confectionery bar.’

Examples of confectionery include:

• sweet popcorn, and mixed sweet and salty popcorn

• chocolate-coated nuts, peanuts, seeds and fruit

• white, milk and dark chocolate

• cooking chocolate

• chocolate bars and boxed chocolates

• bagged slabs or tubed sweets

• jellied fruit sweets

• chewing gum

• marshmallows

• chocolate-covered products - for example, chocolate-covered pretzels

Ice cream

Both dairy ice cream and non-dairy ice cream – such as ice lollies and sorbets – are on the banned list.

Examples include:

• ice cream (including vegan and lactose-free alternatives)

• ice lollies

• choc ices

• frozen yoghurt

• sorbets

• gelato-style ice cream

• ice cream desserts - for example, arctic roll and ice cream sundaes

• alcohol-flavoured products - for example, rum and raisin-flavoured ice cream - that are below 1.2% ABV or alcohol-free

Cakes and cupcakes

While cake decorations and toppings, including icing and sauces are excluded from the ban, ‘all types of cakes, including cake mixes, sold or served individually or with an accompaniment such as cream, ice cream or custard’ are on the restricted list.

• all sponge cakes

• cupcakes

• cake bars and slices

• doughnuts

• American muffins

• flapjacks

• Swiss rolls

• brownies

• traybakes

• cream cakes

• mini rolls

• éclairs

• frozen cakes

Biscuits and cereal bars

If you thought dark chocolate corn cakes were a safe swap for a straight-up chocolate-coated biscuit, think again. New legislation ‘includes all sweet biscuits (filled and unfilled) and chocolate bar biscuits, including flour-based and ‘free from’ products.’

• cereal bars (cereal bars may be similarly shaped to a chocolate bar, made of cereals and typically other ingredients such as fruits and nuts, but can also include nut and seed-based bars)

• sweet toaster pastries

• sweet-flavoured rice or corn cakes

• filled and unfilled sweet biscuits and cookies

• breakfast biscuits

• shortbread

• ice cream wafers or cones

• coated chocolate biscuit bars

Morning goods

Say goodbye to cinnamon buns, pancake mixes and bake-at-home products – even those that don't include dairy or gluten are also excluded from advertising.

• Danish pastries

• croissant, pain au chocolat and similar pastries

• crumpets

• pancakes

• buns (includes fruited and sweet non-fruited buns, such as iced buns)

• teacakes

• scones

• waffles

• English muffins

• bagels (plain and sweet)

• fruit loaves

• hot cross buns

• brioche malt loaf (both sweetened with sugar or fruit)

Desserts and puddings

The government guidelines outline that ‘desserts and puddings, including pies, tarts and flans, cheesecake, gateaux, dairy desserts, sponge puddings, rice pudding, crumbles, fruit fillings, powdered desserts, custards, jellies and meringues’ are all included in the advertising ban.

• sweet pies - for example, apple pie, mince pies and so on

• tarts and flans

• cheesecake

• gateaux

• dairy desserts, such as chocolate pots

• sponge puddings

• rice pudding

• crumbles

• fruit fillings

• roulade

• powdered dessert mixes

• custards

• jellies

• meringue desserts

• choux pastry desserts

• mousses

• Christmas pudding

• trifle

• roly poly

• dessert pizzas

Sweetened yoghurt

If yoghurt has been sweetened using sweeteners, sugar or fruit ingredients, then it also falls under the junk food category. This includes dairy and non-dairy alternatives (such as soya, oat, goat or sheep products), but excludes natural unsweetened yoghurt and unsweetened fromage frais.

• flavoured Greek-style yoghurts

• probiotic yoghurts

• split yoghurts or twin chamber pots

• kids’ yoghurts

• fat-free and low-fat yoghurts

• dairy-free yoghurts

• fromage frais

• drinking yoghurts – defined as a drinkable product that meets the definition for yoghurt, with no additional liquids (milk, water or fruit juice)

Pizza

Other than plain pizza bases, it's bad news for pizza fans. The following products are considered as unhealthy:

• deep pan, deep dish, thin crust and stuffed crust pizzas

• all topping varieties and all sizes

• flatbread pizzas

Potato chips

While potato salads, plain potatoes and whole, sliced or mashed potatoes won't face a blanket ban, the following potatoes will be restricted under the new rules:

• roast potatoes

• potato and sweet potato chips

• fries and wedges

• potato waffles

• novelty potato shapes (such as smiley faces)

• hash browns

• rostis

• crispy potato slices

• potato croquettes

Ready meals

Ready meals – defined as ‘products that are marketed as meals that are ready for cooking or reheating without requiring further preparation and which include a carbohydrate accompaniment or a carbohydrate main element (whether or not it contains a protein element)’ – will also now be under the new advertising restrictions.

• Chinese, Thai, Italian, traditional and so on, with carbohydrate accompaniment (potato, rice, noodles, pasta and so on) made from meat, poultry, fish, meat alternatives or vegetables

• fresh pasta, rice or noodles with added ingredients and flavours, including filled or stuffed pasta such as ravioli and tortellini

• vegetable curries and dhal with rice

• potato-topped pies

Read next

• How much fibre should we *really* be consuming in a day?

• Gwyneth Paltrow and RFK Jr drink it – but is raw milk safe?

• Calorie labels on menus don’t change eating habits, study shows

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