Crumpets hit by junk food ad ban?

Sustain, particularly our Children’s Food Campaign, has fought long and hard for a 9pm junk food ad watershed and total online ban.

Giving effect to elements of The Health and Care Act 2022, on 3 December 2024, the government laid The Advertising (Less Healthy Food Definitions and Exemptions) Regulations 2024. These are due to come into force on 1 October 2025.

Hands off our crumpets!

Some commentators were up in arms that products subject to the Regulations include ‘morning goods’, a category that, amongst items high in fat and sugar, includes crumpets and plain bagels.

Real Bread Campaign coordinator Chris Young said: ‘As is often the case, the devil’s in the detail.  For the purposes of these Regulations, a food product is considered “less healthy” if it's in one of 13 listed categories and it scores four or more points on the government's Nutrient Profile Model.’

How it works

Applying the 2011 Nutrient Profiling Technical Guidance to one brand of additive-laden industrial crumpet as an example:

‘A’ points
Energy 1
Saturated fat 0
Sugars 0
Sodium 6

‘C’ points
Fibre 2
Protein 3

The 'A' points minus 'C' points equals 2, so this product’s NPM score falls below the ‘less healthy’ threshold of 4.

Young added: ‘This still begs the question: as crumpets are in a “guilty unless proven otherwise” why aren't other industrial dough products, such as the white sliced factory loaf?’

The Campaign continues to lobby for an Honest Crust Act of updated and improved composition, labelling and marketing standards.

Small is beautiful

The majority of Real Bread bakeries lie outside the scope of the Regulations, which apply to: 

• Broadcast and online advertising: ‘Businesses involved with the manufacture or sale of food or drink with 250 or more employees, including franchises and symbol groups, who pay to advertise less healthy food or drink products.’
• In-store and price promotions: ‘Businesses with 50 or more employees offering pre-packed food for sale in store and online, including franchises and symbol groups.’

The above is not legal opinion. Please follow the links for the relevant statutory instruments and read official guidance. DOH&SC also advised that ‘Implementation guidance will be published by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).’