The full list of 'junk food' banned from evening ads – and the products that aren't

Food advertising in the UK is set for a shake up thanks to new rules, but which products will be affected?

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 27: A family member of the photographer is seen as an advert for sausages plays on a television screen on July 27, 2020 in London, England. A new push by the government aims to promote healthy eating and promote exercise, and is part of a new campaign to improve the health of the nation and tackle obesity. Government figures have shown just under 8% of critically ill patients in intensive care units with COVID-19 have been morbidly obese, compared with just under 3% of the general population. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
New guidelines are set to restrict the advertising of unhealthy food in Britain. (Getty Images)

Tough new rules on food advertising have been unveiled by the government in an attempt to crack down on Britain's obesity rates.

A slew of products, including porridge, crumpets and croissants, have been branded junk food for the purposes of the revised regulations.

According to the guidelines, restrictions will apply to foods and drinks deemed to be 'less healthy', determined by its score on the government's nutrient profiling model (NPM).

This is calculated by comparing a product's score for 'A' nutrients (energy, saturated fat, total sugar and salt) to it's 'C' nutrients (fruit, vegetables and nut content, fibre and protein). The score for C nutrients is subtracted from that for A nutrients to give the final nutrient profile score.

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Foods that score four or more points, and drinks scoring one or more, are classified as 'less healthy' and subject to Ofcom’s controls on the advertising of foods to children on TV.

While this means some foodstuffs including breakfast products and yoghurts could be hit by the pre-watershed ban of junk food ads, in practice healthier versions of products will continue to be advertised.

For example, while promotion of pre-packed pots of instant porridge with added sugar, salt or fat could be affected, porridge oats could continue to be advertised an normal.

The government has said it hopes to prevent 20,000 cases of childhood obesity and remove 7.2 billion calories a year from British children’s diets.

Here, Yahoo News UK rounds up the the new rules and which products are likely to be affected.

Close-up view of the can cap with waterdrops
Soft drinks with added sugar are in the sights of the new regulations.
  • Soft drinks, including lemonade, cola and energy drink such as Red Bull

  • Fruit juices, smoothies and milkshakes, including 'breakfast drinks' with a "carbohydrate component"

  • Hot chocolate

  • Teas and coffees, including mochas, frappes, chai macchiato

  • Fermented drinks such as kombucha, kefir or lassi

  • Powders, sachets, pods and syrups for any of the above

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Drinks without added sugar, such as milk, or which have been sweetened with "natural fruit or vegetable juice", are not covered by the regulations.

  • Crisps, including alternatives such as "potato hoops", tortilla chips and "chickpea or lentil-based crisps"

  • Savoury crackers

  • Corn puffs

  • Fried, flavoured or seasoned chickpeas

  • Seaweed-based snacks

  • Bombay mix

Not included:

  • Raw, coated, roasted or flavoured nuts and seeds, including pressed seed bars

  • Fruit-based snacks such as dried fruit, fruit crisps or chips (sweetened or unsweetened)

  • Trail mix made of dried fruit and nuts or seeds

  • Meat jerky

  • ‘Dunker’ products, which include breadsticks and a dip

  • Wasabi peas

  • Larger packs of breadsticks "not intended to be eaten in the same way or on the same eating occasion as crisps or other savoury snacks"

Close-up of porridge and tea served in a bowl on table with morning light and shadows coming through the window in the background.
While porridge oats are set to remain unaffected, instant porridge oats with added salt, sugar or fat will likely fall foul of the new rules. (Getty Creative)
  • Granola

  • Muesli

  • Ready-to-eat cereals

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

  • Sweet popcorn, including mixed sweet and salty popcorn

  • Chocolate coated products, such as nuts, peanuts, seeds, fruit or pretzels

  • White, milk and dark

  • Chocolate, including bars and boxed chocolates, whether made from white, milk, dark or cooking chocolate

  • Jellied fruit sweets

  • Chewing gum

  • Marshmallows

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Not included:

  • Dried fruit

  • Nuts with sweet coverings other than chocolate, such as honey, sweet chilli or yoghurt

  • Sugar-free sweets and chewing gum

  • Ice cream and ice cream products, such as choc ices or arctic roll, including vegan and lactose-free alternatives

  • Ice lollies

  • Frozen yoghurt

  • Sorbets

  • Alcohol-flavoured products, such as rum and raisin flavoured ice cream, that are below 1.2% ABV or alcohol-free

Milkshake Frapuccino cup
Sweet drinks and desserts have been targeted by regulators. (Getty Images)
  • All sponge cakes, including cupcakes, cake bars, cake slices, mini rolls and American muffins, whether fresh or frozen

  • Doughnuts

  • Flapjacks

  • Swiss roll

  • Brownies

  • Traybakes

  • Cream cakes and éclairs

  • Cereal bars

  • Sweet toaster pastries

  • Sweet flavoured rice and corn cakes

  • Sweet biscuits and cookies, including shortbread, breakfast biscuits and chocolate coated biscuits

  • Pastries such as Danish, croissant and pain au chocolate

  • Crumpets

  • Pancakes

  • Buns, such as iced buns, including fruited and sweet non-fruited buns

  • Teacakes and hot cross buns

  • Scones

  • waffles

  • English muffins

  • Bagels

  • Fruit loaves, including malt loaf

  • Brioche

  • Sweet pies, such as apple pie or sweet mincemeat pies

  • Tarts and flans

  • Cheesecake

  • Gateaux

  • Dairy desserts, such as chocolate pots

  • Sponge pudding

  • Rice pudding

  • Crumbles

  • Fruit fillings

  • Roulade

  • Powdered dessert mixes

  • Custards

  • Jelly

  • Meringue desserts

  • Choux pastry desserts

  • Mousses

  • Christmas pudding

  • Trifle

  • Roly poly

  • Dessert pizzas

she is showing that she ate her yogurt
While added sugar yoghurts will be caught in the new rules, unsweetened varieties should be unaffected. (Getty Images)
  • Flavoured Greek-style yoghurts

  • Probiotic yoghurts

  • Split yoghurts or twin chamber pots

  • Fromage frais

  • Drinking yoghurts

  • Deep pan, deep dish, thin crust and stuffed crust pizzas, including all topping varieties and all sizes

  • Flatbread pizzas

  • Roast potatoes

  • Potato and sweet potato chips

  • Fries and wedges

  • Potato waffles

  • Novelty potato shapes, such as smiley faces

  • Hash browns

  • Potato rostis

  • Crispy potato slices

  • Potato croquettes

This section in the regulations is intended to cover products which are "ready for cooking or reheating without requiring further preparation".

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Due to the diversity of this sector of the food industry, the regulations are particularly complex, but some foods covered include:

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

  • Potato-topped pies

  • Fish fingers

  • Chicken nuggets

  • Breaded or battered fish, chicken, meat or meat substitutes

  • Kievs

Bottle, milk and baby nutrition in home, liquid food and container for minerals or vitamins. Beverage, healthy supplement and formula for child
Advertising for baby products is set to be unaffected. (PA/Alamy)
  • Baby and infant food products, such as infant formula, follow-on formula and baby food

  • Total diet replacement products

  • Meal replacement products which use an approved ‘health claim’

  • Foods intended for special medical purposes