Scotland’s new food promotion rules took effect on 1st October 2026. They restrict how qualifying shops and online retailers promote and display certain prepacked foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS). Shoppers may notice fewer multi-buy offers and fewer of these products beside checkouts or at aisle ends, but the food itself has not been banned.
The rules are set out in the Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025. They aim to make healthier choices easier by reducing some of the prominent displays and offers that can encourage unplanned purchases. Scotland’s rules are not a new UK-wide change: similar restrictions already apply in England and Wales, with some differences between the nations.
Separate food import tariff changes are also due to take effect across the UK from 26th November 2026. Our guide explains which 101 food and agricultural products are covered and whether the changes could affect supermarket prices: UK food import tariffs: the 101 products covered from November 2026.
Scotland’s food promotion restrictions took effect on 1st October 2026
Since 1st October 2026, qualifying businesses in Scotland have had to follow new rules on how some less healthy food and drink is promoted. In qualifying larger shops, specified products cannot be placed in certain prominent spots, including near checkouts, in designated queuing areas, at aisle ends and in restricted areas around shop entrances. Similar rules cover prominent placements on some retail websites and apps.
Certain multi-buy and free-product promotions are also restricted. Examples include “3 for 2”, “3 for £10”, “buy one get one free” and “50% extra free”. Some businesses are also restricted from offering free refills of certain sugary drinks. The rules apply to specified products, not every food that happens to be high in fat, sugar or salt.
Only specified prepacked foods that meet the less-healthy test are covered
The rules are often described as restrictions on HFSS food. HFSS simply means high in fat, sugar or salt, but the Scottish rules do not apply automatically to every food that could be described in those terms.
The regulations cover specified prepacked food and drink within particular categories where the product meets the relevant less-healthy criteria. Examples include some confectionery, cakes, biscuits, crisps and soft drinks with added sugar. Not every product in one of those broad categories is automatically covered, so the individual product and the detailed rules matter.
The main restrictions cover food that is packaged before it is offered for sale. Loose food and food made and packed in the shop are generally outside the main promotion and placement rules. Separate rules apply to some free refills of sugar-sweetened drinks, including in parts of the hospitality sector.
The rules do not ban sweets, crisps or cakes
Sweets, crisps, cakes, biscuits and other affected products remain available to buy. The restrictions are about how qualifying businesses promote and display specified products, not whether shoppers can purchase them.
Certain multi-buy and free-product offers are restricted
One noticeable change for shoppers is that qualifying businesses can no longer use certain volume price promotions for specified food. Examples include “3 for the price of 2”, “3 for £10”, “buy one get one free” and “50% extra free”.
These are examples rather than a complete legal list. The rules target particular types of multi-buy or free-product promotion, rather than banning every discount.
Individual price reductions remain permitted
Yes. A straightforward price reduction on one product is different from a restricted multi-buy or free-product offer. The Scottish Government’s guidance says ordinary temporary price reductions are not restricted by these particular rules.
For example, a retailer may still reduce the price of one covered product, provided the offer meets the other requirements that apply. The regulations do not set the prices shops must charge. However, covered products with multi-buy promotions printed on their packaging must be clearly marked as not part of that promotion if a qualifying retailer sells them under the Scottish rules.
Genuine meal deals can continue
Genuine meal deals are not prohibited by these regulations. The Scottish guidance distinguishes meal deals from the volume price promotions being restricted, although each offer must meet the relevant conditions.
Prominent product placements are restricted
The location restrictions mainly affect larger stores. They apply to stores with a relevant floor area of at least 185.8 square metres, or 2,000 square feet, subject to the detailed rules and exceptions.
Specified food can be restricted from prominent locations including certain areas around shop entrances, checkouts, designated queuing areas and aisle ends. The legislation contains detailed definitions and exceptions, so this does not mean that every product within a simple fixed distance of every checkout is automatically prohibited.
For shoppers, the practical effect should be easier to see than the legal wording suggests: some products that are currently positioned to catch your attention as you enter a shop, walk around it or wait to pay may simply have to be moved.
The restrictions also cover online retail
The rules also apply to qualifying businesses selling relevant food online. They restrict certain prominent placements and promotional displays on retail websites and apps.
Depending on the circumstances, this can include prominent positions such as a homepage, favourites area or checkout page. The rules also cover certain ways of promoting specified food while a customer is browsing or searching for other products.
Affected products have not disappeared from supermarket websites or apps. The change is about how prominently they can be promoted and displayed.
The rules apply to qualifying businesses
The main promotion and placement restrictions apply to qualifying businesses with 50 or more employees, subject to the detailed definitions and exemptions in the regulations. The employee threshold is assessed for the business as a whole rather than simply counting staff who work in Scotland.
This can include supermarkets and online food retailers, but also some businesses that are not primarily thought of as food shops, such as department stores, pharmacies, petrol stations and garden centres, where the relevant conditions are met.
Smaller businesses with fewer than 50 employees are generally outside the main volume-price and location restrictions, although the exact legal position depends on the business and the particular requirement.
Restaurants and takeaways are mostly exempt from retail restrictions
Restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, fast-food businesses and takeaways are treated differently from retailers under these regulations. They are generally exempt from most of the promotion and placement restrictions, even where they sell relevant prepacked food.
There is an important exception concerning free refills of sugar-sweetened drinks, so businesses in the out-of-home sector should not assume that every part of the regulations is irrelevant to them.
Free refills of certain sugary drinks are restricted
Qualifying businesses cannot offer free refills of certain non-prepacked sugar-sweetened drinks that meet the less-healthy criteria. This is a separate restriction from the main rules on promoting and displaying prepacked food in shops. It can also apply to restaurants, cafés and other out-of-home businesses, even where they are exempt from most retail promotion and placement restrictions.
Alcohol promotions are outside these regulations
No. Alcohol promotions are not covered by these particular Scottish food promotion and placement regulations.
The rules aim to make healthier choices easier
The Scottish Government says the purpose of the regulations is to make healthier choices easier. Its policy material points to research suggesting that prominent displays and special offers can encourage people to buy food and drink they had not planned to buy, or to buy more than they intended.
The policy is therefore intended to reduce some of those prompts around the point where people make purchasing decisions. That is the stated policy aim; the regulations themselves simply set out the restrictions on particular foods, promotions and locations.
Similar rules apply elsewhere in the UK, with differences
No. The change taking effect on 1st October 2026 is specifically the Scottish change.
England already has similar restrictions on the promotion of less healthy food and drink by location and by volume price. The location rules took effect on 1 October 2022, while the volume price restrictions took effect on 1 October 2025.
Wales introduced similar promotion and placement restrictions on 26 March 2026. The Welsh rules are broadly similar but are not identical to the Scottish regulations.
Northern Ireland is at a different stage. The Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland consulted on proposed restrictions during 2026. The consultation closed on 21st October 2026. The proposals are not the same as the Scottish rules, and the Scottish implementation date does not apply in Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Scotland’s food promotion restrictions.
How do I know if a food product is covered?
It must be prepacked, fall within a food or drink category listed in the regulations and meet the less-healthy threshold under the nutrient profiling model. A product being high in fat, sugar or salt does not automatically mean it is covered.
Are loyalty-point multi-buy offers included?
They can be. The guidance explains that loyalty points may count as a financial incentive where customers are encouraged to buy multiple specified products to receive points that can be used towards future purchases.
Are multipacks treated as multi-buy promotions?
Not automatically. A multipack sold as one item is generally treated as a single product. However, an offer such as “six for the price of four” or “50% extra free”, or a deal encouraging customers to buy multiple multipacks, may be restricted.
Are “50% extra free” promotions covered?
Yes, where the product is specified food and the business is covered by the rules. The restrictions include promotions that describe an item, or part of an item, as free, including certain offers printed on product packaging.
A note about this information
This article is intended as general information and reflects the official information available when it was checked. It is not legal, regulatory or nutritional advice. Businesses that need to establish whether a particular product, promotion or business is covered should refer to the official guidance and legislation and seek appropriate advice where necessary.
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