Lidl and Iceland Foods have become the first retailers to have adverts ruled unacceptable under Britain’s tougher restrictions on the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar, an early sign that the Advertising Standards Authority is prepared to enforce the new regime aggressively. According to reports from The Guardian and ITV News, the rules took effect on 5 January and are aimed at reducing children’s exposure to marketing for less healthy products on television and paid online channels. Lidl and Iceland Foods have become the first retailers to have adverts ruled unacceptable under Britain’s tougher restrictions on the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar, an early sign that the Advertising Standards Authority is prepared to enforce the new regime aggressively. According to reports from The Guardian and ITV News, the rules took effect on 5 January and are aimed at reducing children’s exposure to marketing for less healthy products on television and paid online channels.

In Lidl’s case, the ASA upheld a complaint over a paid Instagram post created with influencer Emma Kearney, known as Baby Emzo, to promote the supermarket’s bakery range in Northern Ireland. The ad featured pain suisse pastries, which fall within the less healthy category, alongside a cheese pretzel that Lidl said did not. The retailer argued the campaign was intended to be brand-led, but the regulator accepted that the imagery and spoken references could have made the post look like a direct promotion of the pastry itself.

Iceland was also found to have breached the rules after a digital display and banner campaign appeared on the Daily Mail website. The advertisements showcased confectionery products including Swizzels Sweet Treats, Chupa Chups Laces and Haribo Elf Surprises, all of which the ASA considered non-compliant under the new restrictions. The company said it had been strengthening its compliance systems, including using a third-party provider to build monthly nutritional profiles across its product range, but acknowledged that gaps in supplier data meant the ads were published before checks were complete.

The rulings underline how quickly the new framework is starting to bite across both influencer marketing and standard display advertising. Retailers have been warned to tighten internal controls, and the ASA has ordered the offending material removed. For supermarkets and food brands, the decisions suggest that claims of brand-only promotion will carry little weight if the creative execution still points consumers towards restricted products.