Food law | UK Regulatory Outlook July 2026

UK 

Government confirms ban on sales of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s 

The government has confirmed it will ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s in England from April 2027, subject to parliamentary approval. The announcement follows a consultation that ran from September to November 2025 and received 1,095 responses, with strong support for an age restriction. 

The ban will apply to drinks, other than tea or coffee, containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre. It will cover retail sales in shops, vending machines and online, but will not apply to business-to-business sales. The government intends to bring forward secondary legislation using powers under the Food Safety Act 1990. Retailers will be responsible for ensuring compliance, with enforcement by local authorities. Businesses that breach the rules face fines of up to £2,500. 

Retailers selling high-caffeine energy drinks face a deadline of April 2027 to put in place age verification processes and staff training. The final scope of the measure, including any exemptions, will be determined at as it makes its way through Parliament. Businesses operating in the energy drinks market more broadly will likely want to monitor its passage. 

MPs call for action to fix England's food environment and tackle obesity 

The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee has published a report urging the government to take stronger action on obesity by regulating the food environment more robustly, rather than continuing to defer to food industry interests. 

The committee's central concern is that the current environment pushes consumers, particularly those on lower incomes, towards cheaper high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products. With 30% of adults and 28% of 13- to-15-year olds in England living with obesity or excess weight, and obesity costing the UK an estimated £74.3 billion per year, the committee argues the cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of reform. 

Recommendations include extending the current TV and online HFSS advertising ban to cover brand and range advertising, and for a ban on all outdoor HFSS advertising by July 2027. The committee also calls for updated product placement regulations by January 2027, mandatory front-of-pack traffic light labelling by January 2028, and a mandatory healthy sales reporting regime for supermarkets backed by financial penalties. On planning, the report endorses policies restricting fast food outlets near schools, and calls for the National Planning Policy Framework to be updated. 

The report further recommends improvements to the NHS Healthy Start scheme, including extending eligibility to school age and increasing the value of support annually, alongside a public awareness campaign to boost uptake.  

The committee's recommendations, if implemented, would carry significant implications for product marketing, labelling and sales practices across HFSS product manufacturing, advertising or retail. The government's response will determine which, if any, measures are taken forward.  

FSA publishes new guidance for cell-cultivated and novel food businesses 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), in partnership with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), on 10 July published four guidance documents to help businesses developing cell-cultivated products and other novel foods navigate the regulatory requirements for bringing products to market. The guidance has been produced through the Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme, which has been funded by the now broken up Department for Science, Innovation and Technology-funded and runs until February 2027. 

The sandbox programme committed at the start of the year to publishing further guidance on cell identity, production, microbiology, toxicology and growth media composition throughout 2026. The four documents now published deliver on that commitment. There is guidance on hygiene requirements for the production of cell-cultivated products under general food law and hygiene regulations, as are the detailed scientific requirements for market authorisation applications, including how to characterise cell lines, describe production processes and manage microbiological hazards.  

A third document offers practical recommendations for preparing stronger and more complete applications, addressing the most common reasons applications face delays. There is also guidance on the responsibilities of businesses conducting taste trials of novel foods as part of research and development activity. 

The FSA's Business Support Service, which offers direct engagement with FSA and FSS regulatory experts, remains open to businesses developing cell-cultivated products until February 2027, and businesses at any stage of development should take advantage of this window to engage with regulators and ensure their path to authorisation is as well-prepared as possible. 

Government sets out changes to soft drinks levy from January 2028 

The government has published a policy paper confirming forthcoming changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), to take effect from 1 January 2028 and to be introduced via Finance Bill 2026-27. 

The sugar threshold at which a soft drink becomes liable for the levy will be lowered from 5g to 4.5g of added sugar per 100ml. The existing exemptions for milk-based and milk-substitute drinks with added sugar will also be removed, with the levy applied to total sugar content minus lactose in the case of milk-based drinks. The changes will affect businesses that package or import packaged soft drinks containing at least 4.5g of added sugar per 100ml. Open cup beverages, such as those sold in cafes, remain unaffected.  

Producers of fewer than one million litres per year will remain exempt. The government estimates that only an additional 4% of soft drink sales will become liable after accounting for expected reformulation, and notes that many manufacturers have previously reformulated products in response to the original levy introduced in 2018. 

Businesses newly brought into scope, including producers and importers of milk-based and milk-substitute drinks, will need to assess their product ranges against the revised threshold and consider whether reformulation is commercially viable ahead of the January 2028 deadline. Those not already registered for the SDIL will need to register with HMRC and establish quarterly reporting processes. 

EU 

Commission publishes implementation strategy for new genomic techniques regulation 

The European Commission has published an implementation strategy following the European Parliament's adoption of a new genomic techniques regulation. The strategy sets out planned actions and milestones at EU and member state level and identifies eight areas requiring action before July 2028. 

These include the adoption of delegated and implementing acts, European Food Safety Authority guidance, IT system adaptations and a monitoring programme. A stakeholder conference is planned for the final quarter of the year. The patent transparency provisions, which require applicants to disclose existing or pending patents when registering an NGT-1 plant or product, apply from the date of entry into force rather than the 2028 application date. 

For businesses with NGT products in development or in the pipeline for the EU market, the implementation strategy provides a roadmap for preparation. The delegated act and EFSA guidance, both targeted for adoption in the first quarter of 2028, will be the principal documents to monitor.