The 13 Foods Banned by UK Advertising Rules, Including Many Breakfast Items
Dec 9, 2024 at 12:12 PM
Getty Images has brought to light a comprehensive list of banned and restricted food items. Soft drinks, a common beverage choice, are among the first to be restricted. Only those without added sugar, such as milk and unsweetened smoothies, are excluded. Examples range from traditional soft drinks like lemonades and colas to more unique ones like fruit-based squash drinks and energy drinks. Juice-based drinks, fruit juices or smoothies (even with dairy), milk-based drinks with added sugar or sweeteners, milkshakes, hot chocolates, coffee and milk-based drinks with various additions, tea and coffee, kombucha, fermented (yoghurt) drinks, breakfast drinks or shakes, and even powders, sachets, pods or syrups related to coffee or tea are all part of the ban.Savoury Snacks
Crisps take the lead as the main offenders. The restrictions cover a wide range of savoury snacks, including crisps themselves, savoury crackers, rice cakes and biscuits sold as alternatives to crisps, corn puffs, potato hoops, tortilla chips, chickpea or lentil-based crisps, fried, flavoured or seasoned chickpeas, seaweed-based snacks, and Bombay mix. Raw, coated, roasted or flavoured nuts and seeds, dried fruit, fruit crisps or chips, and trail mix made of dried fruit and nuts are excluded.Breakfast Cereals
Perhaps the most controversial on the list are breakfast cereals. The government has deemed all products predominantly found in the "breakfast cereal" aisle as unhealthy. Examples include granola, muesli, ready-to-eat cereals, porridge oats (including instant and other hot oat-based cereals).Confectionery
All products predominantly found in the "confectionery" aisle, including chocolate and sweets, and "free from" confectionery products, are covered. Products marketed as "protein bars" or "high protein" may also fall under this category if they possess the ingredients or other features of a confectionery bar. Examples include sweet popcorn, chocolate-coated nuts, white, milk and dark chocolate, cooking chocolate, chocolate bars and boxed chocolates, bagged slabs or tubed sweets, jellied fruit sweets, chewing gum, marshmallows, and chocolate-covered products like pretzels.Ice Cream
Both dairy and non-dairy ice cream, such as ice lollies and sorbets, are on the banned list. Examples include regular ice cream (including vegan and lactose-free alternatives), ice lollies, choc ices, frozen yoghurt, sorbets, gelato-style ice cream, ice cream desserts like arctic roll and ice cream sundaes, and alcohol-flavoured products (below 1.2% ABV or alcohol-free).Cakes and Cupcakes
While cake decorations and toppings are excluded, all types of cakes, including cake mixes sold or served with accompaniments like cream, ice cream or custard, are restricted. This includes all sponge cakes, cupcakes, cake bars and slices, doughnuts, American muffins, flapjacks, Swiss rolls, brownies, traybakes, cream cakes, mini rolls, éclairs, and frozen cakes.Biscuits and Cereal Bars
New legislation includes all sweet biscuits (filled and unfilled) and chocolate bar biscuits, including flour-based and "free from" products. Cereal bars, which may be similar in shape to chocolate bars and made of cereals with other ingredients like fruits and nuts, are also covered. Sweet toaster pastries, sweet-flavoured rice or corn cakes, filled and unfilled sweet biscuits and cookies, breakfast biscuits, shortbread, ice cream wafers or cones, and coated chocolate biscuit bars are all part of the ban.Morning Goods
Goodbye to cinnamon buns, pancake mixes, and bake-at-home products. Even those without dairy or gluten are excluded. This includes Danish pastries, croissant, pain au chocolat and similar pastries, crumpets, pancakes, buns (including fruited and sweet non-fruited buns), teacakes, scones, waffles, English muffins, bagels (plain and sweet), fruit loaves, hot cross buns, and brioche malt loaf (both sweetened with sugar or fruit).Desserts and Puddings
The government guidelines outline that desserts and puddings, including pies, tarts and flans, cheesecake, gateaux, dairy desserts, sponge puddings, rice pudding, crumbles, fruit fillings, powdered desserts, custards, jellies and meringues, are all included in the advertising ban. Examples include sweet pies like apple pie and mince pies, tarts and flans, cheesecake, gateaux, dairy desserts like chocolate pots, sponge puddings, rice pudding, crumbles, fruit fillings, roulade, powdered dessert mixes, custards, jellies, meringue desserts, choux pastry desserts, mousses, Christmas pudding, trifle, and roly poly.Sweetened Yoghurt
If yoghurt has been sweetened using sweeteners, sugar or fruit ingredients, it falls under the junk food category. This includes dairy and non-dairy alternatives like soya, oat, goat or sheep products, but excludes natural unsweetened yoghurt and unsweetened fromage frais. Examples are flavoured Greek-style yoghurts, probiotic yoghurts, split yoghurts or twin chamber pots, kids' yoghurts, fat-free and low-fat yoghurts, dairy-free yoghurts, and fromage frais. Drinking yoghurts, which are drinkable products meeting the definition of yoghurt with no additional liquids, are also included.Pizza
Other than plain pizza bases, it's bad news for pizza fans. Deep pan, deep dish, thin crust and stuffed crust pizzas, all topping varieties and all sizes, and flatbread pizzas are considered unhealthy.Potato Chips
While potato salads, plain potatoes and whole, sliced or mashed potatoes are not banned, potato and sweet potato chips, fries and wedges, potato waffles, novelty potato shapes like smiley faces, hash browns, rosti, and crispy potato slices are restricted.Ready Meals
Ready meals, defined as products that are marketed as meals ready for cooking or reheating without further preparation and including a carbohydrate accompaniment or main element, are now under new advertising restrictions. This includes Chinese, Thai, Italian, traditional and other varieties with carbohydrate accompaniments like potato, rice, noodles or pasta made from meat, poultry, fish, meat alternatives or vegetables. Fresh pasta, rice or noodles with added ingredients and flavours, vegetable curries and dhal with rice, and potato-topped pies are also included.
