Why were Lidl and Iceland's ads banned under the UK's new junk food advertising rules?

Lidl's ad was banned because it featured a pain suisse pastry—an identifiable 'less healthy' HFSS (high in fat, salt, or sugar) product—in an Instagram post by influencer Emma Kearney, violating the rule that prohibits promoting identifiable junk food in paid online advertising at any time; Iceland's ad was banned because it promoted sweets including Swizzels Sweet Treats, Chupa Chups Laces, Choose Disco Stix, and Haribo Elf Surprises—products classified as HFSS under the UK's nutrient profiling model—which cannot be advertised in paid digital spaces like the Daily Mail website.

What did Lidl and Iceland say in response to the ASA's ruling?

Lidl acknowledged that while its ad was intended to be 'brand-led'—which is permitted under the new rules—it inadvertently promoted an identifiable junk food product and accepted the breach; Iceland stated it had requested nutrient profile data from suppliers but was 'aware of gaps' in that data, and has since hired a data provider to compile monthly nutritional information for all products on its website to identify 'less healthy' items, though the offending ads had already appeared on the Daily Mail website before this system was implemented.

Lidl and Iceland Ads Banned Under New UK Junk Food Rules

Apr 15, 2026

UK regulators banned Lidl and Iceland ads as the first enforcement of new junk food marketing rules. The retailers violated restrictions on promoting High Fat, Salt, and Sugar (HFSS) products via influencers and digital channels.

theguardian

2026-04-15

Lidl and Iceland Ads Banned Under New UK Junk Food Rules

2026-09-14

Einride, Lidl Deploy First Cab-Less Autonomous Truck in Germany

Lidl and Iceland Ads Banned Under New UK Junk Food Rules

FAQ