Health has become a central focus for UK consumers, with 89% of households prioritising health and wellbeing. The events of the past 12 months – from the government’s ambitious 10‑year health plan and mandatory healthy food sales reporting, to the intensifying debate around ultra‑processed foods and the rapid rise of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs – mean health is also becoming one of the food and drink industry’s defining challenges.
Against this backdrop, The Grocer is launching a Health Summit – a new one‑day event designed to help retailers and brands network, share insight and navigate an increasingly complex health landscape, while identifying the commercial opportunities it presents.
The past year has fundamentally reshaped how health is viewed across grocery and as a result, nutrition, wellness and the uncertain effects of the changes to the UK food system are now front and centre on every boardroom agenda.
The policy landscape is becoming increasingly demanding. HFSS multibuy restrictions were introduced in October 2025, and new advertising rules came into force at the start of the year. And more regulation is firmly on the horizon: the Department of Health & Social Care is consulting on tightening advertising rules by applying the 2018 nutrient profiling model, as well as proposals for healthier food targets and broader reporting requirements. Businesses must be ready to adapt or risk being left behind.
Answering key health questions
Those pressures are already reflected in The Grocer’s coverage. Over the past year, The Grocer has published more than 600 news stories, features, opinion pieces and explainers on health, and there’s no sign of this momentum slowing throughout 2026.
It is that surge in legislation, consumer scrutiny and commercial risk that underpins the launch of the Grocer Health Summit, which will be taking place on Tuesday 15 September 2026 at the QEII Centre in London.
The event will bring together grocery retailers, wholesalers, food and drink manufacturers, health and wellness brands, public health bodies, policy advisers and scientists, with the shared goal of answering the key questions around the role the grocery sector must play in the future of the UK’s health.
“It’s hugely exciting to be launching a Health Summit,” said The Grocer’s editor-in-chief Adam Leyland.
”Our theme is ‘How to Hit Your Target on Health’. That’s because all stakeholders – retailers, manufacturers, shareholders, the government – are setting targets or having targets set for them that need to be hit. This event will focus on moving the needle, achieving meaningful change, and the benefits that will accrue as a result.”
The agenda will explore how shifting consumer attitudes are shaping behaviour, product reformulation and innovation; how health regulation and legislation will affect business models; how marketing must evolve in a post‑HFSS, GLP‑1-obsessed world; and, crucially, how companies can plan for the future.
Sessions will include debates and deep dives such as ‘Navigating the ultra-processed panic’, ‘How to sell food to people who just aren’t that hungry’ and ‘Monetising the microbiome’. While the full programme is still being finalised, it promises to cut through the confusion and identify both the challenges and the opportunities presented by the current health landscape.
The speaker list will include leading scientists, government ministers and influential campaign groups, as well as innovators, disruptors and thought leaders from across the world of retail and fmcg.
To find out more and book your ticket, visit the event website here.
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