Food and drink industry warns against planned junk food rules overhaul

Sunday, June 21, 2026

The government has proposed an updated nutrient profiling system that would tighten restrictions on high-fat, sugar, and salt products, potentially leading manufacturers to incur higher reformulation costs and remove about 10% of products from shelves. Supporters argue the changes could significantly reduce obesity rates and save the NHS billions, while industry leaders warn the revisions may disrupt progress made under the current framework.

Leading figures in the food and drink industry have expressed strong concerns over the government’s proposed revision of junk food regulations, warning that the changes could impose significant costs on manufacturers and result in the removal of numerous products from supermarket shelves.

The government plans to update the nutritional framework used to classify food and beverage products that are high in fat, sugar, or salt. This system determines which products are subject to advertising restrictions and limitations on store placement. The current model, developed by the Food Standards Agency in 2004, is due for an overhaul to better reflect contemporary nutritional science.

A survey commissioned by the Food & Drink Federation and conducted by Oxford Economics estimates that the average one-time cost for manufacturers to adapt each product to the proposed criteria would be approximately £2,812—dramatically higher than the £53 per product estimated by government officials. Industry representatives also anticipate that around 10% of existing products might be withdrawn from the market to comply with the new standards.

The planned changes include differentiating between “free sugars” and total sugars in products. Free sugars—comprising those added during processing as well as certain natural sugars such as honey and syrups—are considered more detrimental to health. Under the revised model, some foods that previously avoided being classified as less healthy, including bran flakes and yoghurt drinks, would now fall under restrictions. The government intends for these updates to better align with current scientific understanding of nutrition and diet-related health risks.

Former health secretary Wes Streeting has supported the initiative, suggesting that the revised nutrient profiling model could contribute significantly to reducing obesity rates and potentially save the National Health Service billions of pounds annually. The government has initiated a consultation process on the proposals, with the aim of implementing the changes before the end of the current parliamentary term.

Industry leaders have cautioned that the overhaul could undermine previous efforts to improve product health profiles. Richard Hall, vice-president of Danone North Europe, noted that companies have already invested heavily in reformulation under the existing framework and voiced concern about the potential setbacks the new rules could cause.

Separately, the drinks sector has opposed plans to remove fruit juices from school menus, viewing the measure as overly restrictive.

A government spokesperson emphasized the public health benefits anticipated from the changes, stating that early estimates suggest the updated nutrient profiling model could lead to a reduction of up to 110,000 cases of childhood obesity through tighter restrictions on junk food advertising and promotions.