Food influencers face new restrictions as UK advertising rules kick in

Food influencers face new restrictions on how they promote unhealthy food online, as tougher UK advertising rules come into force today.

The changes, introduced by the country’s advertising watchdog, restrict paid online promotion of “identifiable” less healthy food and drink products by large brands – forcing creators and food companies to adapt how they work together.

Under changes introduced by the Advertising Standards Authority, content creators will no longer be able to post paid reviews or promotional content featuring specific less healthy food or drink products, such as fast food or high-sugar snacks, on their own social media channels. The rules draw a clearer line between organic food content and advertising, restricting what can be paid for rather than what can be posted outright.

The restrictions also apply where creators are gifted food or invited to dine with an expectation of posting. Brands can still publish content featuring less healthy products on their own websites or social media accounts, but they can't boost that content with paid media, and creators cannot repost it to their own feeds.  

Genuinely unpaid food reviews remain unaffected, and the new restrictions do not apply to food and drink businesses with fewer than 250 employees.

The new regime forms part of a wider set of restrictions on less healthy food and drink advertising, originally developed as part of the UK government’s strategy to reduce childhood obesity. Final guidance published by the ASA late last year set out how the rules apply in practice, including how paid creator partnerships should be treated under the new framework.

Regulation keeping pace

Scott Guthrie, Director General of the Influencer Marketing Trade Body, told The Daily Influence the changes would require brands and creators to rethink how paid food partnerships are structured.

He said brands may increasingly work with creators in other ways, such as producing content specifically for brand-owned websites or through longer-term ambassador relationships. Guthrie added that brands could also look to build creator-led campaigns for other channels, including audio-only podcasts, cinema and in-person events.

The restrictions sit within a broader effort by UK regulators to bring influencer marketing and creator-led advertising more firmly within existing regulatory frameworks. In recent years, the Competition and Markets Authority has stepped up scrutiny of influencer disclosures and online endorsements, while the ASA has expanded enforcement across sectors including financial promotions and gambling.

Meanwhile, similar trends are emerging internationally. In India, advertising authorities have tightened influencer rules in areas such as health and finance, while in China regulators have moved to crack down on misleading promotions and restrict influencers from discussing professional topics without relevant qualifications.

Taken together, the changes highlight how the regulatory environment around the creator economy is continuing to evolve, with paid food promotion now more clearly defined in the UK.