Consultation on restricting promotions of high fat, sugar and salt foods

Overview

The Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health have launched a public consultation on proposals to introduce restrictions on the promotion of products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS). The consultation seeks views on proposals to restrict volume price promotions, such as multibuy offers, and the placement of HFSS products in prominent locations in stores and online to support healthier shopping environments and shift the balance of promotions to increase the affordability of healthier options.

Similar restrictions are already in place in England and Wales, and Scotland will be introducing similar restrictions in October 2026.

For full details of the proposals, please follow the link below.

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-restricting-promotions-products-high-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss

Why your views matter

Obesity remains a significant public health challenge in Northern Ireland and is associated with an increased risk of a range of serious health conditions.

The Department of Health's Healthy Futures obesity strategic framework identifies the food environment as an important factor in supporting healthier choices and reducing health inequalities. The proposed restrictions are intended to help create healthier retail environments by reducing exposure to promotions that encourage the purchase of HFSS products.

We encourage anyone with an interest in public health, food retail, food manufacturing, enforcement, consumer issues or the wider food environment to respond to this consultation. Your views will help inform decisions on whether and how these proposals should be taken forward in Northern Ireland.

You can complete the survey online, or if preferred you can respond by email or by post. An email can be sent to Executive.Support@food.gov.uk.

The office address is:- 

Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland

10A-C Clarendon Road,

Belfast, BT1 3BG

Please respond by 21 October 2026

Privacy.

We respect your privacy. Any personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with data protection laws. We will not publish your personal details.

Being transparent and providing accessible information to individuals about how we may use personal data is a key element of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The DoH is committed to building trust and confidence in our ability to process your personal information and protect your privacy.