The UK’s High in Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) legislation is set to reshape the way food and beverage brands operate - and it’s already having a major impact on popular household names.
What Is HFSS?
HFSS refers to products that are high in fat, salt, or sugar. The legislation, which stems from the UK government's strategy to tackle rising obesity rates, restricts how and where these products can be marketed and sold. This includes rules around promotional deals (like “buy one get one free”), placement in stores (such as near checkouts or at the end of aisles), and advertising - especially when it comes to targeting children online and on TV before 9pm.
How Will It Affect Big Brands?
Cadbury (Mondelez International)
Cadbury, known for its wide range of chocolate products, is directly in the crosshairs of the HFSS regulations. Traditional impulse purchases - like grabbing a Dairy Milk bar at the checkout - will become less common as retailers are required to move these items away from high-visibility areas. Cadbury will likely have to shift focus to digital marketing, packaging innovation (e.g. reduced sugar variants), and non-HFSS product development.
Coca-Cola
While Coca-Cola already offers low- and zero-sugar options like Coke Zero and Diet Coke, its original full-sugar formula is classified as HFSS. This means limitations on where it can be advertised and promoted in stores. Coca-Cola is expected to lean further into its healthier portfolio, promoting sugar-free alternatives more heavily while exploring new formulations that could bypass the HFSS restrictions altogether.
Nestlé
Nestlé’s diverse product range includes everything from KitKat and Smarties to cereals and ice cream - all of which are impacted by HFSS rules. The company has already begun reformulating some products to meet the standards, investing in research and development to reduce sugar and salt content without sacrificing taste. Marketing strategies are also shifting, with a greater emphasis on balanced lifestyles, portion control, and educational messaging.
Walkers (PepsiCo)
Walkers, the UK’s leading crisp brand, is also feeling the squeeze under HFSS legislation. Known for its classic salted, cheese & onion, and ready salted varieties, most of Walkers’ portfolio is considered HFSS. As a result, in-store promotion and prime shelf placement will be limited. In response, Walkers has expanded its lower-fat "Baked" range and introduced smaller portion multipacks to appeal to more health-conscious consumers and stay compliant with the new rules.
McVitie’s (pladis)
McVitie’s, the brand behind iconic biscuits like Digestives, Hobnobs, and Jaffa Cakes, faces similar challenges. Many of their products exceed HFSS thresholds, restricting visibility and promotional opportunities. In preparation, McVitie’s has begun rolling out reformulated options and smaller pack sizes, while also exploring lower-sugar versions. Marketing is expected to shift toward digital storytelling and nostalgia-driven campaigns that build emotional connections beyond just product visibility.
What’s Next?
The HFSS regulations are being introduced in phases, with restrictions on volume-based promotions and placement in stores already in place.
The HFSS 9 pm watershed on TV and paid online advertising is currently scheduled to come into effect on 1 October 2025.
This restriction will ban advertisements for products classified as high in fat, salt, and sugar from being shown on TV before 9 pm and will prohibit paid online ads for these products entirely. The goal is to reduce children’s exposure to the marketing of unhealthy food and drink.
Vertex View
For brands, the message is clear: adapt or fall behind. This means investing in healthier product innovation, being smarter about marketing channels, and finding new ways to engage consumers beyond the impulse purchase.
As shoppers become more health-conscious and regulators apply pressure, HFSS is no longer just a legal hurdle - it’s a catalyst for change in the food and drink industry.
