New Legislation Affecting the Food and Drink Industry (March 2022)

HFSS UPDATE MAY 2022

Since we published the below news article in March there has been a significant U-turn in how quickly the regulations on HFSS promotions will come into force.

The government have stated that this is driven by the rise in inflation and the resulting cost-of-living crisis currently facing consumers.

What is delayed:

  • A ban on HFSS multibuy deals, including bogofs, along with restrictions on free refills for soft drinks, has been pushed back a year, until October 2023.
  • A ban on HFSS ads before the 9pm watershed and paid-for adverts online has also been paused for a year, until January 2024.

Going ahead:

  • A ban on prominent positioning of HFSS products, such as at checkouts, store entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents, is to go ahead as planned in October 2022.

Source: DHSC/ DCMS

We would recommend that plans to innovate and make changes to the fat, salt and sugar content of your products continues in line with your development strategy, as this is currently only a temporary U-turn, with the Government facing significant pressure to enforce this legislation as per the original plan, albeit it at a later date.

Please get in touch if we can help you to innovate your existing or new products.

One of the most significant legislations to affect the food retail industry in decades is due to come into force this October

Restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt by location and by price

Is your business ready for it?

This new legislation is going to affect everyone involved in the Food and Drink Industry:

  • Food & drink manufacturers and brands
  • Advertising channels
  • Retailers
  • And Consumers

It is going to drastically change how a supermarket looks and will affect consumers purchasing behaviours.

As a food or drink manufacturer, there are many strategies you could adopt. Whether you decide to…

  • Leave your HFSS (High Fat, Sugar, Salt) products as they are and find other ways to promote them and drive volume e.g., through packaging development to ensure maximum stand out on shelf or different price promotions.
  • Reformulate recipes so that your products meet the new HFSS guidelines.
  • Innovate entirely new healthier LFSS (Low Fat, Sugar, Salt) products and perhaps open the door to a whole new customer base…

We would like to help 

We want to be at the ‘coal face’ working with you, our customers, to help you to protect and grow your business in a sustainable way.

Our expert team can very quickly assess compliance of products and work with you to reformulate your recipes or create new innovations to include lower fat, sugar, salt ingredients without compromising the taste, texture and visual appeal.

It’s likely that these restrictions will only increase over the coming years, so let our expert teams work with you to innovate new products and future proof your business.

Get in touch to speak with our experts about your HFSS concerns