Nutrient Profiling Model
What is the Nutrient Profiling Model
The Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) was developed by the Food Standards Agency in 2004 to define less healthy food, originally to determine which foods could be advertised during children’s TV. It uses a scoring system which balances the contribution made by beneficial nutrients like fibre, fruit and vegetables, with components in the food we should eat less of, like salt and sugar. The overall score indicates whether that food is defined as ‘less healthy’ (HFSS) or ‘healthier’ (non-HFSS).
Behind the scenes, many companies started using the model as a benchmark when they developed healthier recipes. This became more prominent when it became the basis of the recent promotion and advertising restrictions (HFSS regulations).
HFSS regulations
| Regulation | UK nation | Implementation date |
| Restricting product placement in store and online | England | October 2022 |
| Restricting volume promotions e.g. ‘buy one get one free’ deals | England | October 2025 |
| Restricting advertising of less healthy food on TV and online | UK-wide | January 2026 |
| Restricting placement and volume promotions in store and online | Wales | March 2026 |
| Restricting placement and volume promotions in store and online | Scotland | October 2026 |
What are the proposed changes to the NPM?
Last summer, the UK government published its 10 Year Health Plan for England. Within this, they indicated they wanted to update the NPM used within these regulations. In January 2026, they published a revised model – the 2018 NPM.
The 2018 model makes small changes to all of the components, but the main changes are to fibre and sugar:
- Fibre can score more ‘positive’ points
- 'Negative' points for sugar are awarded at much lower levels of sugar than previously
The way sugar is defined also changes – points are awarded for ‘free sugars’. These are sugars either added to a product by the manufacturer, or sugar that is naturally occurring in honey, syrups, and fruits and vegetables that have been changed from their whole form (e.g. a fruit juice, or fruit and vegetable puree). Currently, businesses can’t analyse for ‘free sugars’, and it’s illegal for these to appear on nutritional labels.
What are the challenges with changing the NPM?
The 2018 NPM sets the bar unachievable for many categories, and so it will be harder to encourage people to choose foods in those categories that are a better choice. Many foods that currently qualify as ‘healthier’ would be reclassified as ‘less healthy’. This includes many micronutrient-dense foods, like high fibre breakfast cereals, yoghurts and smoothies, as well as newly launched healthier variants across multiple categories.
But, research from Nesta, the research and innovation foundation, shows that if many small changes are made to healthier alternatives – like lower sugar biscuits or lower fat yoghurts – reduced total daily calorie consumption by 8.5%, this could halve obesity rates in the UK in five years. This demonstrates that supporting consumers to make small changes can have a big impact over time.
In addition, changing the NPM so soon after the latest regulations came into force adds a lot of instability to the food industry. Recipe change is complex and long-term. So, creating uncertainty has caused some food and drink businesses to halt planned investment in innovating healthier options.
To learn more, view our two-pager on our consultation response.
How can government support industry to drive further progress?
In the last five years, the NPM score of products sold by FDF members has improved by 13%, and FDF members now contribute 19% less sugar, 18% less salt, and 17% fewer calories to the British grocery market. Food and drink manufacturers have invested hundreds of millions of pounds over many years to develop healthier options for consumers to choose from.
To support companies and drive further progress to accelerate innovation in healthier products in the UK, we believe the government should:
- Keep the current NPM in place and undertake an evaluation of the HFSS Regulations and their effectiveness, before considering any changes
- Introduce mandatory healthy food sales reporting across the whole food sector to incentivise businesses to keep developing healthier products, while establishing consistent data to inform current and future policymaking
Read more
Oxford Economics report: NMP 2018 impact assessment review
The Government is now proposing to apply the 2018 Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM 2018) to advertising and promotions restrictions, extending the number of products that fall within scope of these restrictions. This report evaluates government’s methodology and identifies the likely impacts of the proposed policy on manufacturers and the wider economy.
