​Focus On Crisps, Nuts & Bagged Snacks: 18 April

By Vince Bamford (vjbamford@googlemail.com) and Nicola Smith (nicola@nicolasmith.net)

Advertising deadline: 3 April 2026

Submissions deadline: 26 March 2026

Print, digital and sponsorship opportunities

It’s crunch time for bagged snack brands, which since January have been banned from advertising high fat, salt and/or sugar (HFSS) products on TV before 9pm and banned outright from advertising online.

How has HFSS impacted sales?

How has HFSS changed retailer and supplier strategies?

What other factors are influencing the snacking category?

Reformulation: there’s been no shortage of HFSS-compliant product innovation in the past year. Despite this, campaigners say efforts to reduce salt and fat content don’t go far enough.

Who’s leading the way on HFSS-compliant reformulation?

What percentage of crisps, nuts and bagged snacks sales are HFSS-compliant?

What have been the most successful HFSS-compliant launches?

What challenges need to be overcome in making snacks HFSS-compliant?

‘Healthier’ chocolate has never taken off – is it easier or more difficult to make savoury snacks healthier? Why?

Do consumers understand what HFSS regs are… and do they care?

The Nutrient Profiling Model: in January, the government updated its Nutrient Profiling Model – the mechanism used to determine whether food and drinks is deemed HFSS, sparking criticism from the industry.

How has the NPM been changed?

Why has it been changed and when will it come into use?

What impact will this have on the bagged snacks industry?

Advertising: the long delayed clampdown on advertising HFSS food and drink came into force in January, banning online advertising outright and banning TV ads before 9pm.

Exactly what kind of adverts are banned and are any still allowed?

How have brands and retailers responded?

Has it had any impact on sales?

Is there any evidence that suggests HFSS regs have had a positive impact on people’s health?

What’s next in terms of HFSS regulation?

Consumer perspectives: We will be working with our research partner Vypr to explore consumer perspectives on snacking.

Do people understand what HFSS regs are?

Do they care?

Do they support government efforts to help them make healthier choices?

Do people want to eat healthier snacks?

Or do they just want to treat themselves?

What kind of snacks do they look for when they’re after a treat or something healthy?

Nuts: nuts have several health benefits – including being high in fibre and protein – although they can also be high in salt.

Where do nuts sit in terms of HFSS regulations?

How are they performing in terms of sales?

What are brands and retailers doing to drive growth?

What packaging formats are in growth or decline?

When, where and why do people eat nuts?

How can nuts be made healthier?

Popcorn: a few years back, many industry commentators were tipping popcorn to be the next big thing in snacking.

How has the popcorn category performed in the past year?

Where does popcorn sit in terms of health?

What percentage of popcorn sale srae HFSS-compliant?

What have brands and retailers been doing – in terms of NPD, deals, marketing, etc – to drive growth?

Flavour innovation: ready salted, salt & vinegar and cheese & onion have long been the holy trinity of crisp flavours, but what new flavours are gaining ground?

What flavour trends are shaping the category?

What have been the most successful new flavour launches in crisps, nuts, popcorn etc, in the past year?

How do brands ensure new flavours actually drive incremental growth and don’t cannibalise existing lines?

How important are ‘limited-edition’ flavours and what are their benefits?

What will be the next big thing in terms of snack flavours?

Innovation: we will be profiling five new product launches – ideally products that have not yet been launched and haven’t been featured in the press. We need: launch date; rsp; pack weight/volume; stockist details; full product details and a high resolution pack shot.