Virtual Advice:AM | Less healthy food and drink

Thursday 10 September 2026, 10.30am-12.30pm

The new Less Healthy Food (LHF) advertising restrictions represent one of the most significant changes to UK advertising regulation in recent years. Introduced to help reduce children's exposure to advertising for less healthy food and drink products, the rules apply across TV, on-demand programme services and paid-for online advertising.

This practical two-hour training session will help advertisers, agencies, legal teams and compliance professionals understand how the rules work in practice and how the ASA assesses complaints. Through real ASA rulings and case studies, you'll learn how to determine whether an ad is in scope of the restrictions, understand key exemptions, and identify potential compliance risks before campaigns go live.

By the end of the session, you'll have a clearer understanding of the LHF framework, including the "identifiability" test, the brand advertising exemption, and the practical steps you can take to create compliant advertising.

This course will provide practical guidance on navigating the new LHF advertising rules and avoiding common compliance pitfalls.

By the end of the training delegates will:

• Understand how the ASA decides whether an ad is for a less healthy food or drink product.
• Learn when and where the LHF restrictions apply, including TV, on-demand services and paid-for online advertising.
• Explore the key exemptions to the rules, including out-of-scope media and the SME exemption.
• Gain an understanding of how products are classified as "less healthy" and the categories covered by the legislation.
• Understand the ASA's identifiability test and the factors considered when assessing complaints.
• Learn how the brand advertising exemption works, including the three key tests used by the ASA.
• Review real ASA rulings and case studies covering product depictions, brand advertising, realistic imagery, retail advertising and promotions.
• Understand how the ASA investigates complaints and what advertisers are expected to demonstrate when challenged.
• Identify practical "safe zones" and "danger zones" when developing food and drink advertising campaigns.

This course is designed for anyone involved in creating, approving or advising on food and drink advertising, including:

• Marketing and brand professionals
• Advertising, media and creative agencies
• In-house legal and compliance teams
• Regulatory affairs professionals
• Food and drink manufacturers and retailers
• Businesses using paid-for online advertising, influencer marketing or sponsorship
• Anyone responsible for ensuring advertising complies with the CAP and BCAP Codes

When paying online, the cost per delegate is £240 (£200 + VAT); we accept all major credit and debit cards.

When paying by invoice, the cost per delegate is £282 (£235 + VAT); the additional charge is to cover administrative tasks.

If you're based outside of the UK, please pay via invoice.

Group discount

We offer discounts for group bookings of four or more delegates. Enter the relevant code during the booking process to receive the discount.

4-24 delegates – 25% off – use code group25

25+ delegates – 50% off – use code group50

Charity discount

We also offer discounts for registered charities, please email [email protected] for more details.

These discounts cannot be used in conjunction with other promotional codes or together