Government publishes final UK Nutrient Profiling Model 2018
28 January 2026What the final model tells us, and what it means for future HFSS policy.
On 27 January 2026, the UK Government published the final UK Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2018, alongside a suite of supporting documents setting out how the model was developed, how it should be applied, and how consultation feedback was addressed.
Today’s publication does not introduce immediate changes to HFSS legislation, but it provides clear insight into the model likely to underpin future restrictions on HFSS advertising and promotions. Government has confirmed that a full public consultation on the application of the UK NPM 2018 will take place later in 2026, ahead of any legislative change.
Key headlines for industry:
The model is more restrictive than the 2004/05 NPM, with a significantly greater impact on drinks than foods. Post-consultation modelling shows a 6 percentage point reduction in foods passing, a 21 percentage point reduction for drinks, and an overall reduction of 8 percentage points across foods and drinks.
Total sugars have been replaced by free sugars, aligning the model with current dietary guidance and reinforcing a long-signalled shift in policy direction.
Seeds are now included within the Fruit, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds (FVNS) component. While positive from a health perspective, this will require recalculation of existing FVN values using recipe-level data.
Post-consultation technical changes have not materially altered the proportion of products passing the model compared with the draft 2018 version, meaning industry modelling remains a useful starting point.
The final UK NPM 2018 provides greater certainty on the technical framework likely to shape future HFSS regulation, while signalling a more challenging policy environment, particularly for drinks and products high in free sugars.
Why this matters
For Government, publication of the final model represents an early step in delivering the 10 Year Health Plan commitment to strengthen HFSS advertising and promotions restrictions.
Current legislation is still based on the UK NPM 2004/05, which no longer reflects updated dietary recommendations, particularly for free sugars and fibre. The 2018 review was designed to align the model with more recent nutrition science, including guidance from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s 2015 Carbohydrates and Health report.
For industry, the transition is more complex. Significant resource has been invested in complying with HFSS legislation underpinned by the 2004/05 NPM, including measures that came into force as recently as this month. In addition, devolved nations are yet to implement HFSS policies due later this year, with legislation already passed on the basis of the 2004/05 model. Any move to align these policies with the 2018 NPM would require further legislative change.
Overall, the UK NPM 2018 is more restrictive than the 2004/05 model, with Government modelling indicating a greater impact on drinks than foods. While post-consultation changes have not materially altered the proportion of products passing compared with the draft model, the finalisation of the 2018 NPM is likely to shape long-term health strategies across the food system.
Purpose of review
According to Government, the aim of the review was:
“To bring the UK NPM in line with current UK dietary recommendations (as set out in the Eatwell Guide), in particular those for free sugars and fibre.”
This has resulted in targeted adjustments, rather than a complete redesign, reflecting:
the recommendation that free sugars should not exceed 5% of total dietary energy
the recommendation that adult fibre intake should increase to 30g per day (AOAC)
As a result, there are minor changes to energy, protein and salt thresholds, alongside more substantive updates to free sugars, seeds and fibre.
How the final UK NPM 2018 works
The UK NPM 2018 uses the same underlying structure as the 2004/05 model and remains very similar to the draft version consulted on previously.
The nutrient profiling score is calculated as:
Total ‘A’ points (energy + saturated fat + free sugars + salt)
minus
Total ‘C’ points (fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds + fibre + protein)
For most nutrients, values can be sourced from mandatory back-of-pack nutrition labelling (per 100g or 100ml). However, free sugars and FVNS content require recipe-level data and assumptions, making them more complex to calculate.
Fibre is not part of mandatory nutrition labelling and remains voluntary. Therefore, multiple metrics mean the model cannot be applied using back-of-pack information alone, and it relies on access to detailed product and recipe-level data
The following table summarises differences between the 2004 NPM and NPM 2018:
Nutrients or food components | NPM 2004 to 2005 | Modelling undertaken | NPM 2018 |
Energy | 8,950 kJ (2,130 kilocalories (kcal)) | Model a range of energy values and removal of the energy component | 8,400 kJ (2,000 kcal) |
Saturated fat | 11% of food energy | Model saturated fat as 11% of food energy based on 8,400 kJ (2,000 kcal) | 11% of food energy |
Total sugars or free sugars | Total sugars: 21% of food energy | Model total sugars values as % of food energy and free sugars as a % of total dietary energy | Free sugars: 5% total dietary energy |
Sodium or salt | Sodium: 2,400mg | Model salt in place of sodium | Salt: 6g |
Protein | 42g | Model protein in line with adult reference nutrient intakes of 45g | 45g |
Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds (see note) | % in products based on 400g | Model a range of fruit, vegetables and nuts scoring options | % in product based on 400g |
Fibre | 24g AOAC (18g NSP) | Model a range of fibre values and scoring options | 30g AOAC |
Since the NPM expert group review was completed, the group have made an additional decision to add seeds to the fruit, vegetable and nut component.
Key technical changes to note
Free sugars
The most significant change from the 2004 NPM is the move from total sugars to free sugars, and stricter thresholds.
Free sugars as defined by the Public Health England free sugars definition
Compared to the 2004/05 NPM:
15 percentage points fewer high free-sugar products pass
4 percentage points fewer high total-sugar products pass
Post-consultation, a free sugars “proxy” model was explored but rejected in favour of estimated free sugars values, which were considered more practical and transparent.
IGD will host a technical roundtable on free sugars next month with DHSC, industry nutritionists, academics and NGOs. Building on today’s technical guidance, the session will explore the feasibility of achieving a consistent, evidence-based and auditable approach to free sugars calculation across the UK food system. IGD will publish a public, aggregated summary following the roundtable.
Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds (FVNS)
Seeds are now included, reflecting comparable nutritional composition to nuts.
This will require recalculation of FVNS values using updated formulation data.
FVNS scoring remains on a 5-point scale, as wider scales allowed more high-sugar products to pass.
Juices and smoothies count as 100% FVNS, despite their sugars being classified as free sugars.
Dried fruit and vegetables are double-weighted, consistent with the 2004/05 model.
Fibre
The final model uses a 10-point fibre scale, where:
5 points = 3g fibre per 100g (“source of fibre” claim)
10 points = 6g fibre per 100g (“high fibre” claim)
This aligns fibre scoring with EU nutrition claims legislation
While this simplifies calculation and improves consistency, many high-fibre foods still do not pass due to free sugars content.
Sodium to salt
Sodium has been replaced with salt, aligning with mandatory labelling requirements under the Food Information for Consumers Regulation.
This change is intended to improve usability and consumer comprehension.
What hasn’t changed
The core structure of the NPM remains familiar to industry.
No immediate regulatory changes follow today’s publication.
The model does not apply to foods and drinks for infants and young children under 5.
The protein cap remains unchanged from the 2004/05 NPM.
If a product scores 11 or more ‘A’ points and less than 5 FVNS points, protein is excluded from the score.
Portion sizes/ Volume to weight conversions remain unchanged.
The UK NPM remains based on the nutrient composition of 100g of a food or drink. Where nutrition information is provided per 100ml, values must be converted to per 100g using the product’s specific gravity.
Worked examples and practical guidance
The technical guidance includes worked examples across a wide range of categories, including drinks, dairy, ready meals, bakery and confectionery. These examples support consistent application but also highlight that NPM calculations remain complex and data-intensive, requiring detailed product information.
A shift to the 2018 NPM would therefore present practical challenges alongside policy change.
Examples available are:
oat-based dairy-alternative drink
lemonade
blackcurrant squash
passion fruit yogurt drink
chocolate (cows’) milk-based drink
strawberry milkshake powder with semi-skimmed (cows’) milk
canned pineapple in 100% juice
hummus
chunky vegetable soup (Soups are classified as food for the purpose of the NPM 2018)
chicken korma and rice ready meal
strawberry fromage frais, (50g pot, so example of a portion smaller than 100g)
cereal bar
teacake
cheese containing fruit
chocolate covered biscuit
strawberry flavour jelly
vanilla ice cream (example of a product measured by volume not grams)
What happens next?
Government has confirmed that a public consultation on applying the UK NPM 2018 to advertising and promotions restrictions will take place later this year. The scope, timing and enforcement of any future changes will depend on the outcome of that consultation and subsequent legislative decisions.
For businesses, today’s publication provides clarity on the technical design of the model, but also highlights the potential need to:
Re-assess existing HFSS classifications within your business
Revisit formulation assumptions, particularly for free sugars and FVNS
Prepare for future policy discussions based on a more restrictive model
IGD will continue to review the implications of the UK NPM 2018 and support members as the policy landscape evolves.
Publications reviewed for this article include:
Published together by the UK Government today, these documents confirm the final design of the 2018 NPM and signal the direction of travel for future advertising and promotions policy.