New HFSS Rules in Hospitality: What Restaurants, Cafés & Hotels Need to Know

By Ashley Sykes

4-5 mins

What Hospitality Needs to Know About HFSS Rules (Without the Spin) If you’re running a restaurant, café, or hotel, you’ve probably heard the term “HFSS” tossed around—but what does it actually mean for you, and are you even in scope? Let’s cut through the noise and give you the facts.

First things first: What is HFSS?

HFSS stands for High in Fat, Salt or Sugar. The UK government has introduced legislation to restrict how these foods and drinks can be promoted, particularly through advertising, in a bid to tackle obesity.

While the bulk of these regulations target retailers and manufacturers, hospitality operators can still be affected — especially if you advertise food and drink online or via broadcast media.

Are restaurants, cafés, and hotels in scope?

Good news first: in-store promotional activity (menus, signage, etc.) inside your venue is not covered by HFSS rules.

However, you are affected

• "if you:
• Run paid ads on social media promoting specific dishes or drinks
• Feature HFSS products in broadcast advertising (e.g. radio, YouTube, TV)
• Operate branded pre-packaged food or drink (sold online or in multi-site setups)

So if you're running a hotel group, a quick service brand, or even a small chain with a digital ordering platform, HFSS matters to you.

What kind of advertising is restricted?

If your food or drink product classifies as HFSS, you cannot advertise it online or on TV during times when children are likely to see it.

This includes: Search and display ads (Google, Meta) Video ads (YouTube, TikTok, CTV)

• Paid influencer partnerships
• Programmatic and affiliate marketing
• TV and radio ads

airing between 5:30am and 9pm

How to work out if a product is HFSS (this part matters)

You’ll need to run the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM), which gives you a score based on both “negative” and “positive” nutrients.

Step 1: Calculate the A Score – the less healthy stuff

Add points for:

• Energy (kJ)
• Saturated fat (g)
• Total sugar (g)
• Sodium (mg)

More points = worse score.

Step 2: Calculate the C Score – the good stuff

Add points for:

• Fibre (g)
• Protein (g)
• "% of fruit, veg, and nuts

More points = better score.

Step 3: Final Score = A Score – C Score

• "Thresholds:
• "Foods:

If the final score is 4 or more, it’s classed as HFSS "Drinks:

If the final score is 1 or more, it’s classed as HFSS

Once a product is classed as HFSS, the advertising restrictions apply.

What about menu items or fresh-prep dishes?

HFSS classification applies to individual products, so if your dishes are assembled fresh on site, it can be a grey area.

However, if you're advertising specific items, especially pre-packed items or heavily branded products, it’s worth assessing them.

Examples that might be in scope:

• Bottled smoothies or milkshakes sold as part of a combo
• Branded soft drinks or sweetened hot drinks
• Pre-packed snacks sold at the till
• Pre-prepared desserts promoted in online ads

What does this mean for your marketing? Be cautious with paid ads: Avoid promoting HFSS products in paid campaigns unless you’re sure they don’t qualify. Review your recipes: Could small tweaks move you below the threshold? Lead with benefits: Showcase dishes with higher fibre, fruit content, or protein to offset negative nutrients. Use tools like Harlo: Digital allergen and ingredient platforms (like Harlo) make it easier to monitor your recipes, understand their content, and calculate HFSS eligibility with confidence.

Final word

You don’t need to overhaul your entire menu, but you do need to know where you stand. HFSS is here, it’s enforceable, and the penalties aren’t just financial- they’re reputational too.

By taking simple, proactive steps, hospitality businesses can stay compliant, avoid ad restrictions, and still serve indulgent food in a responsible, informed way.