The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have recently published a study which they carried out to fully understand the food business landscape and the location of various business types in Northern Ireland.  

The aim of this study was to map the food retail and out of home environment in Northern Ireland and determine the number of businesses that may be impacted by applying legislation to restrict the promotion of food high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS), which is currently in place in England, and legislated for in Wales (coming into force March 2026) and in Scotland (coming into force October 2026), to the Northern Ireland setting. 

Findings show that almost half (45.7%) of grocery retail premises would be in scope of location restrictions and almost two thirds (62.5%) would be in scope of volume restrictions. Over one fifth (21.8%) of non-grocery retail premises would be in scope of location restrictions and over one third (37.3%) would be in scope of volume restrictions. This indicates that the policy could have wide-reaching implications for the sector, particularly in how HFSS products are promoted and displayed.  

Many grocery retail businesses also operate under franchise or symbol group arrangements, meaning they would be in scope of the current legislation in England. Three large retailers, which also have significant presence in Northern Ireland, account for over 55% of the total grocery market share across Great Britain suggesting that there is likely to be a high level of consumer exposure to HFSS promotion restrictions if applied in Northern Ireland. 

One tenth (10.9%) of out of home (OOH) businesses would be in scope of restrictions on free refills of sugar-sweetened drinks, although not all of these businesses offer this promotion. Given that there is a small proportion of businesses that would be in scope, and the market is dominated by smaller independent businesses, other options could be considered to create a healthier food environment in OOH settings. 

There is variation across Local Government Districts, with more deprived and urban areas having a higher concentration of businesses that would be in scope. This suggests the policy could have greater reach in these areas, potentially supporting efforts to reduce health inequalities. To maintain a sense of affordability for consumers, retailers should be encouraged to shift promotional strategies toward healthier food and drink options. 

Only a small proportion of premises that would be in scope of restrictions (<10%) were located within 400m of a school (approximately a 5-minute walk) suggesting that the policy may contribute to shaping the food environment near schools, but any impact is likely to be limited. 

Read the study in full here