HFSS Scotland
The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 come into force on 1 October 2026. This hub explains which businesses are in scope, what counts as HFSS food, which promotions are restricted, which retail areas are affected, and how the framework is enforced in Scotland.
The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 introduce restrictions on the promotion and placement of foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS). These rules form part of Scotland’s wider approach to improving the retail food environment.
In practice the framework is encountered through product classification, promotional activity, store layout, enforcement interpretation, and day-to-day retail decision-making.
This page provides an overview of the Scottish HFSS framework and links to supporting explainers covering scope, classification, promotion rules, placement restrictions, enforcement context and regulatory interpretation. The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 provide the statutory foundation for the framework.
Topics and related explanations
Framework and scope
The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025
A plain-English overview of the structure and purpose of the Scottish HFSS statutory framework.
Read moreDo the HFSS Rules Apply in Scotland?
How scope and application works under the Scottish HFSS framework, including the employee threshold and floor area criteria.
Read moreDo the HFSS Rules Apply to Small Businesses in Scotland?
Why the employee threshold is commonly misunderstood and how scope actually works under the statutory criteria.
Read moreDoes the 2026 HFSS Law Apply to Your Business in Scotland?
A structured plain-English guide to the statutory criteria that determine whether the Regulations apply to a specific business.
Read moreWhen Do the HFSS Rules Start in Scotland?
The commencement date for The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 and what it means in practice.
Read moreWhat counts as HFSS
What Counts as HFSS Food in Scotland?
How the two-stage category and nutrient profiling classification process works under the Scottish HFSS framework.
Read moreHFSS Nutrient Profiling in Scotland
The role of the nutrient profiling mechanism in determining whether a product in an in-scope category qualifies as relevant food.
Read moreHFSS Food List Scotland
Why there is no simple universal HFSS food list, and how product classification actually works under the statutory framework.
Read moreAre Any Foods Banned Under HFSS in Scotland?
The HFSS rules do not ban the sale of food. This page explains what the Regulations actually restrict and where the 'junk food ban' description comes from.
Read moreHFSS Key Terms and Definitions – Scotland
A concise reference guide to the core terms used in the Scottish HFSS promotion and placement framework.
Read morePromotions and placement
HFSS Promotion Restrictions in Scotland
How the Regulations restrict volume-linked price promotions of HFSS food in qualifying retail premises.
Read moreAre Multibuy Offers Banned Under the HFSS Rules in Scotland?
How the promotion restrictions address volume-linked price incentives and why classification depends on statutory definitions.
Read moreHFSS Placement Restrictions in Scotland
How the Regulations restrict the placement of HFSS food in defined retail locations, including entrance areas and checkout areas.
Read moreHFSS and Checkout Displays in Scotland
How the placement restrictions apply to checkout areas and why prominence alone does not determine classification.
Read moreEnforcement and common questions
HFSS Enforcement in Scotland
How enforcement responsibility is structured, which authorities are involved, and how compliance assessment may arise in practice.
Read moreWhat Happens if HFSS Rules Are Breached in Scotland?
How regulatory issues may arise, how they may be addressed, and the statutory enforcement context.
Read moreHFSS and Retail Regulatory Review in Scotland
How HFSS promotion and placement issues may be encountered during routine regulatory activity or targeted review by local authority officers.
Read moreWhy the HFSS Rules Are Commonly Misunderstood in Scotland
How media and trade summaries often diverge from the statutory structure, and how to engage with the framework directly.
Read moreResources
HFSS Regulations
Focused legislative commentary explaining the structure and operation of the HFSS promotion and placement restrictions in Scotland – covering scope, relevant food classification, promotion rules, placement rules and enforcement context.
View HFSS RegulationsFrequently asked questions
Do the HFSS rules apply to all food businesses in Scotland?
No. Application depends on the statutory criteria in the Regulations, including an employee threshold. Businesses below that threshold are generally outside scope. Floor area is also relevant to certain placement restrictions. Whether the Regulations apply to a specific business depends on those statutory criteria.
Is there a definitive list of HFSS foods in Scotland?
No. The Regulations do not operate through a named product list. Whether a product is relevant food depends on the category it falls into and whether it meets the nutrient profiling criteria established within the statutory framework. Classification is determined by the Regulations, not by a published register.
Are multibuy promotions restricted under the Scottish HFSS rules?
Volume-linked price incentives — promotional mechanisms where a price advantage depends on purchasing multiple units — are among the types of promotion addressed by the Regulations in qualifying premises. Whether a specific offer falls within the restricted category depends on the statutory definition.
Are checkout displays affected by the HFSS placement restrictions?
The placement restrictions address defined retail areas including areas associated with checkouts. Whether a specific display falls within a restricted area depends on the statutory description of that area, not on its prominence or traffic level alone.
Does floor area decide whether a business is in scope?
Floor area is relevant to certain placement restrictions, but the primary threshold for scope is the employee threshold. A business below the employee threshold is generally outside scope regardless of premises size. Floor area affects whether specific placement restrictions apply within qualifying businesses, not overall scope.
Related Scotland food regulation topics
These related hubs cover adjacent areas of Scottish food regulation and inspection context.