Our response to publication of the updated NPM

Today the UK Government published a long-awaited update to the Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) – a quiet but powerful public health tool that is central to cancer prevention and tackling diet-related diseases.

NPMs are used to assess how healthy foods are, classifying products as healthier or less healthy (often referred to as HFSS – high in fat, salt and sugar). While no system is perfect, the NPM is critical because it underpins food policy, determining which products are captured by regulation and which are allowed to escape it.

The UK’s existing junk food advertising and promotion restrictions are still based on the 2004 NPM. This means the effectiveness of these policies depends entirely on a model developed more than 20 years ago.

A robust, evidence-based NPM is essential to prevent unhealthy products continuing to fall through regulatory gaps. Since the original model was developed, the science on diet and health has moved on.

Obesity firmly established as major driver of cancer

In particular, evidence linking unhealthy diets, overweight and obesity, and cancer risk has grown substantially. Obesity is now firmly established as a major driver of cancer and one of the leading preventable causes of the disease in the UK and globally. If food policy is to meaningfully improve diets and reduce obesity-related cancer risk, it must be built on a credible, up-to-date NPM.

Importantly, the updated NPM will better reflect recommendations from the independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) on free sugars and fibre, ensuring policy aligns with current scientific guidance.

We therefore warmly welcome today’s publication of the revised NPM, first consulted on in 2018. This is an important step forward. However, the updated NPM is not yet applied in policy.

The Government has committed to holding a public consultation in 2026 on applying the 2018 NPM to advertising and promotion restrictions. We stand ready to work with the UK Government at this next stage to ensure the NPM delivers real progress for cancer prevention and overall public health.