Turning reformulation into opportunity: How brands can thrive under the UK’s junk food ad ban

1 January 2026 saw the official introduction of the UK Government’s junk food advertising ban, which has already fundamentally changed the way food brands and manufacturers talk about ingredients, supply chains, and health claims. While the ban, which places strict limits on promoting many categories of food, is classed as an advertising ban, don’t be fooled into thinking this is simply a matter of rethinking your messaging and ad budget.  And you certainly shouldn’t mistake it for a box-ticking compliance exercise.

No, what this advertising ban really represents is an opportunity. By using it as an opportunity to think strategically about reformulation, it can go from a regulatory hurdle to a powerful growth engine.

What is the junk food advertising ban?

 The new ban places restrictions on advertising any product classed as ‘less healthy’. These restrictions vary depending on the advertising channel.

·       TV advertising: In-scope products cannot be shown in adverts before the 9pm watershed

·       Online advertising: In-scope products cannot be shown in the UK

·       Out-of-home advertising: No new restrictions are in place, although existing regulations still apply

In the short term, this has had more of an impact on marketing strategy. The advertising industry has been voluntarily operating under the regulations since October as a sort of trial run before their official introduction in January. That means 2025’s Christmas ads had a slightly more abstract feel than usual, lacking the mince pies, puddings, and trimmings of prior years as they instead focused more on things they could show – healthier options, brand imagery, and Keira Knightley.

In the long term, though? You can’t rely on advertising sleight-of-hand forever. Bigger names may well be able to rely on brand recognition and glitzy celebrity endorsements, but when launching new formulations and product lines, most companies will want the product itself to be the hero. That’s where reformulation comes into play.

The junk food advertising ban scoring system explained

As mentioned above, the only products subject to the advertising ban are those classed as ‘less healthy’. But what counts as a ‘less healthy’ product?

The scope of the ban is much wider than you might expect, going far beyond traditional junk food. It covers 13 categories of food, which are:

·       Prepared soft drinks containing added sugar ingredients 

·       Savoury snacks 

·       Breakfast cereals and porridges (some of which can contain high amounts of sugar and fat) 

·       Chocolates and sweets

·       Ice cream, ice lollies, frozen yoghurt, water ices, and similar frozen products

·       Cakes and cupcakes

·       Sweet biscuits and bars

·       Morning goods, including sweet pastries and sweetened bread products

·       Desserts and puddings

·       Sweetened yoghurt and fromage frais

·       Pizzas

·       Prepared potato products

·       Main meals and sandwiches

Any product that falls into one of these categories will be subject to a scoring assessment. Like in golf, the aim is to keep scores as low as possible – get below a certain threshold, and the product will not be subject to the advertising ban.

Points will be awarded for ‘A’ nutrients, which are classed as energy, saturated fat, total sugar, and sodium. Points will then be subtracted based on ‘C’ nutrients - fruit, vegetables, nuts, fibre, and protein. The assessment is based on nutrients per 100g of product as sold, not as consumed.

If a food product scores above four points, it will be classed as ‘less healthy’ and subject to the ban. For beverages, anything scoring above one point will be classed as ‘less healthy’.

Now that it’s all broken down, the importance of reformulation is clear. By adding nutrients like fibre and protein to their products, manufacturers and brands may be able to shave a few more points off their total score and escape the advertising ban. This helps brands maintain their share of voice on TV and online in an increasingly competitive marketplace – but forward-thinking businesses will see an opportunity to go much further than this.

Don’t look at this defensively – instead, by being proactive in your approach to your ingredient supply chains, you can use this opportunity to appeal to the sensibilities of modern consumers.

Giving consumers what they want

In short, today’s consumers want healthier options they can trust. Health claims are incredibly important to modern consumers and were already actively shaping purchase behaviour and product development in ways that go well beyond the advertising ban itself.

Data from UK consumer surveys shows that shoppers aren’t just vaguely interested in eating better. They are planning concrete changes to what goes into their bodies. According to a recent YouGov/AHDB Pulse survey, 14% of UK consumers plan to increase their protein intake and 13% plan to increase their fibre intake in 2026 as part of their diet goals, and nearly a quarter are actively trying to cut back on sugar, fat, and salt. These numbers reflect deliberate shifts toward nutrient-dense foods that can deliver measurable benefits that go beyond feel-good marketing claims.

Look at protein claims, for example. High-protein snacks have moved from niche fitness aisles into mainstream shopping baskets, with products touting added protein from seeds, nuts, legumes, and dairy increasingly visible in grocery aisles. This isn’t just driven by gym culture. Retailers are reporting that consumers are replacing meals with protein-rich snacks and convenient options throughout the day, reflecting lifestyle shifts toward flexible eating patterns in 2026.

This is what formulators have to focus on – serving consumers what they want. If they view reformulation as a growth engine, then it will become one. If they view it as a box-ticking exercise to keep the ads on air, then that’s all it will be. Don’t feel forced into reformulation – be proactive about it, embrace the opportunities it presents, and do it strategically.

Reformulation you can trust

Of course, reformulating established product recipes is easier said than done. Even small changes to a recipe can have a massive knock-on effect on taste, texture, and consumer satisfaction. And it doesn’t matter how healthy a product claims to be – if it doesn’t taste good, its success will always be limited.

And, of course, it’s important to be able to trust any new ingredients you’re serving to consumers. Not all nutrients are of equal quality, and increasingly, brands are discovering this the hard way.

Just last year, we highlighted the concerning growth of off-spec products in markets across the world. These are products that make inflated claims about their nutrient content – for example, we worked with a company that had been stung by a protein powder from a previous supplier. This powder was sold as an 80% protein powder. However, testing showed this powder actually only contained 60% protein. 

With scrutiny around health claims intensifying – and with the junk food advertising ban introducing a granular approach to nutritional profiling – that 20% gap could prove to be catastrophic, especially for a smaller disruptor brand.

And it’s an opportunity to educate consumers with a more nuanced take on the conversation around additives. Not everything marketed as ‘organic’ or ‘clean’ is nutritious, just as not everything containing additives is bad for you. Some are, and some aren’t. With the spotlight on ingredients and nutrition, now is the time to have these conversations, supported by a transparent supply chain of high-quality ingredients.

This is where an expert distributor like ACI Group can help. We only work with trusted, transparent suppliers and provide independent verification of ingredient quality long before it reaches your production lines. That means you can make concrete, science-backed health claims that you – and your consumers – can trust. Provenance over promises.

These kinds of claims will only become more important in the new, tightly regulated food marketplace. Between the junk food advertising ban and a consumer base that is actively demanding more fibre, more protein, and more transparency, the rules of food innovation have changed for good. Brands that treat reformulation as a strategic growth lever, not a regulatory headache, will be the ones that earn long-term consumer loyalty in 2026 and beyond.

If you want to reformulate with confidence, the quality of your ingredients matters as much as the claims in your marketing. ACI Group helps food and nutrition brands source verified, high-performance ingredients they can build credible, compliant health products around. Get in touch to find out how ACI Group can support your next formulation with total confidence in quality, provenance, and performance.