On 5th January 2026, the new Less Healthy Food (LHF) regulations came into force in the UK. We wanted to provide clear and practical guide to the new Less Healthy Food (LHF) regulations, with a particular focus on one of the biggest opportunities still available to brands: product sampling.
While tighter restrictions are now reshaping the advertising landscape, not all marketing activity is treated equally. Understanding where sampling sits within the rules is essential to protecting reach, reputation, and results.
What does "Less Healthy" mean?
The term Less Healthy Food refers to products classified using the UK Government’s Nutrient Profiling Model, which scores food and drink based on factors such as sugar, salt, saturated fat, calories, and beneficial nutrients.
How products are classified:
Products are assessed against set nutritional thresholds to determine whether they fall into the LHF category.
Which products are affected?
Many everyday categories are impacted, including confectionery, snacks, sugary drinks, ready meals, and some breakfast cereals.
HFSS vs. LHF - what's the difference?
While HFSS (High Fat, Salt or Sugar) has been widely used in the past, LHF is the updated legislative term tied directly to advertising and promotional restrictions. Importantly, these restrictions focus primarily on paid advertising, not all forms of marketing.
Find out more about the HFSS Legislation and how to execute HFSS compliant advertising.
Why Were LHF Advertising Restrictions Introduced?
The restrictions were introduced as part of the government’s strategy to tackle childhood obesity and improve public health outcomes. By limiting exposure to advertising for less healthy products (particularly among younger audiences), the legislation aims to encourage healthier choices and reduce long-term health risks.
Crucially, the intent is to reduce advertising exposure, not to prevent adults from discovering, trying, or purchasing products through compliant channels such as sampling.
What the Legislation Covers (and What It Doesn’t)
The new legislation significantly tightens where and how LHF products can be promoted through paid media.
Key highlights include:
- A ban on paid-for online advertising of LHF products
- TV advertising restrictions before the 9pm watershed
- Limitations across digital, social, and outdoor media
Key timelines
Restrictions are being phased in, meaning brands need to act now to review media plans and creative assets. At the same time, this has accelerated interest in channels that remain outside these paid advertising bans, including sampling.
Promotion & Advertising Regulations
The rules don’t just affect where ads appear, but how they’re created and who they reach:
Where ads can and can’t appear
Restrictions apply across TV, online display, paid social, video-on-demand, outdoor advertising, and sponsorships.
When ads are restricted
Watershed rules apply, alongside digital restrictions that effectively remove paid online placements.
Who ads can target
Strict audience profiling rules prevent targeting under-18s or placements with a high child audience index.
What creative elements are limited
Use of licensed characters, influencers, promotional mechanics, and certain claims are now restricted.
Notably, these rules focus on advertising content and paid placements, not on direct-to-consumer trial activity such as responsible product sampling.
Practical Steps to Stay Compliant - Alternative Advertising Strategies
Promotion & Advertising Regulations
Sampling Is Exempt – and More Important Than Ever
While paid media options are more limited, product sampling remains exempt from the LHF advertising restrictions when delivered responsibly and compliantly. This makes it one of the most powerful tools available to LHF brands right now.
Marketing channels that remain exempt or less restricted include:
Product Sampling
Getting products directly into consumers’ hands allows brands to drive trial, build trust, and influence purchase without relying on paid advertising.
Experiential Marketing
Live experiences and brand activations create meaningful engagement while staying within regulatory boundaries.
In-store Activations (with conditions)
When executed correctly, retail environments still offer strong opportunities to reach adult shoppers.
Sampling, in particular, enables brands to maintain visibility, spark discovery, and create positive brand experiences without breaching advertising rules.
Turning Regulation into Opportunity
Forward-thinking brands are already using the legislation as a catalyst for smarter, more resilient marketing strategies:
- Leaning into sampling-led campaigns to drive trial and awareness
- Pivoting away from paid media towards owned, experiential, and face-to-face channels
- Reformulating products to meet healthier thresholds where possible
- Embedding legal and compliance checks early in campaign planning
Brands Leading The Way
Several major brands including McDonald’s, Cadbury’s and Nestle’s Mr Kipling have already adapted to LHF regulations successfully, shifting focus from traditional paid advertising to sampling, experiential campaigns, and brand-led storytelling. These brands are proving that
creativity, compliance, and commercial impact can work hand in hand – even in a more restricted advertising environment.
Why Sampling Is a Smart Solution Under LHF Legislation
As LHF regulations reshape the advertising landscape, brands need compliant, effective ways to maintain visibility and drive trial. Product sampling stands out as one of the most powerful solutions. Free from many of the restrictions applied to paid media, sampling allows brands to put products directly into consumers’ hands, creating genuine engagement without breaching advertising rules. It enables trial, builds familiarity, and encourages repeat purchase, all while operating within the legislation. For brands looking to stay relevant, compliant, and competitive, sampling isn’t just an alternative, it’s one of the most effective routes forward under the new LHF laws.
Drop us a message today about how we can help you stay compliant, while keeping your brand front of mind.
