Welcome to the Retail, Food & Hospitality Regulatory & EU round-up. Week ending 30 November 2025

This week’s regulatory developments in order of importance, so you can ensure you're up to date with the latest changes impacting your business. 

Retail, Food & Hospitality Important updates

What does the Budget mean for businesses in the Consumer sector? Our tax experts explore the impact of the recent Budget with a specific focus on the consumer sector. View >

Soft drinks levy to be extended and strengthened: As part of the budget HM Treasury and the Department of Health and Social Care have announced that the sugar content levy for soft drinks is to be extended to milk products and milk alternative products from 1 January 2018. The changes will apply the charge to pre-packaged milk-based and milk-alternative drinks with added sugar, like milkshakes, flavoured milks, sweetened yoghurt drinks, chocolate milk drinks and ready-to-drink coffees. The threshold for application of the levy is also being reduced from 5g per 100g to 4.5g per 100g. A ‘lactose allowance’ will be introduced to account for naturally occurring sugars in milk. A consultation on implementation of the changes will take place in 2026. Consultation outcome > Press release >

Power to introduce visitor levy to be extended to Local Authorities: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced its intention to introduce a power for Mayoral and potentially other Local Authorities in England to introduce a visitor levy on overnight stays. The Ministry has issued a consultation on scope, introduction and operation of visitor levy schemes – Responses and required by 18^th February. Consultation > Press release > UK Hospitality >

Strong opposition voiced to relaxation of licensing system in England and Wales: Following a consultation by the Home Office on potential reforms relaxing various aspects of the Licensing Act 2003 regime in England and Wales the Home Office has rapidly published an analysis of responses received showing a high level of support from businesses and a high level of opposition from licensing and police authorities. The Home Office claim that ‘Responses showed broad support for an overarching objective of a consistent, transparent licensing system that empowers local authorities while promoting economic growth, cultural development, public safety and community wellbeing’. The Home Office has issued revised guidance under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003. The Home has published a non-statutory ‘National Licensing Policy framework’ which it says Local Licensing Authorities should state how they have taken it into account when next reviewing their statements of licensing policy. Evidence > Guidance >

Founding members of WRAP sponsored packaging pact named: The Waste Resources Action programme has listed 55 organisations that have signed up to a ‘UK Packaging pact’ to be launched in April 2026. Following on from the UK Plastics Pact, the new voluntary agreement widens the focus to all materials commonly used in packaging, and the range of sectors involved in the new programme. The UK Packaging Pact intends to fill the supermarket of 2035 with products in minimal, efficient packaging designed for reuse and remove single-use packaging from our everyday waste stream ushering in more widely used easily recyclable packaging, with reduced carbon. It will continue to act to eliminate problematic and unnecessary packaging items.  View >

EU updates

EU Parliament approve stricter rules on Toy Safety: The existing ban on carcinogenic and mutagenic substances and substances toxic for reproduction (CRM) is extended to chemicals that are particularly harmful to children, such as endocrine disruptors, substances that harm the respiratory system, and chemicals that are toxic for the skin and other organs. The new rules also ban the intentional use of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances and the most dangerous types of bisphenols. Allergenic fragrances will be prohibited in toys for children under 3 and in toys designed to be placed in the mouth. Before placing a toy on the market, manufacturers will have to carry out a safety assessment on all potential hazards − chemical, physical, mechanical, and electrical. The assessment will also have to test toys’ flammability, hygiene, and radioactivity, and take children’s specific vulnerabilities into account. All toys must have a clearly visible digital product passport (DPP), showing compliance with the relevant safety rules. Online marketplaces will be obliged to set up their platforms in a way that allows sellers to display toys’ CE markings, safety warnings and digital product passports. The new rules will come in to foce 20 days after their publication in the EU Official journal. View >

EU Parliament call for 16 age limit to access social media: MEPs have adopted a non-legislative report by 483 votes in favour, 92 against and with 86 abstentions, expressing deep concern over the physical and mental health risks minors face online and calling for stronger protection against the manipulative strategies that can increase addiction and that are detrimental to children’s ability to concentrate and engage healthily with online content. The European Parliament proposes a harmonised EU digital minimum age of 16 for access to social media, video-sharing platforms and AI companions, while allowing 13- to 16-year-olds access with parental consent. View >

EU Regulations:

• Ecodesign requirements for battery chargers, USB cables, power supplies. View >
• Protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products. View >

European Food Safety Authority opinions:

• Yellow mealworm as a novel food. View >
• Maximum residue limits for plant protection products. dodine > pinoxaden >

Developments to watch

DEFRA: Publish update on ongoing disease outbreaks: Blue tongue > Avian flu >

Welsh Government: Publish update on development of Deposit return scheme for one trip drinks packaging. View >

Business organisations: Welcome agreement to amend employment rights Bill to delay unfair dismissal right to six months from date of employment. View >

Department of Health and Social care: Secretary of State Wes Streeting delivers speech on ‘ working together to raise the healthiest generation ever’. View >

Environment Agency: Publish information on its use of civil sanctions in 2025. View >

National Trading Standards: Claim 6.4 million consumers have fallen victim to online scam adverts. View >

HM Treasury: Publish consultation outcome on landfill tax reform. View >

For your information

Non-food product safety alerts: Office for Product Safety and Standards > EU Safety Gate > US Consumer Product Safety Commission >

Office for Product Safety and Standards: Launch consumer online product safety campaign. View > View >

HM Treasury: Publish budget documentation and transcript of Chancellors speech. View > View >

Government Chemist: Publish food and feed law update. View >

Food Standards Agency: Publish Board papers for meeting on 10 December. View >

Association of Convenience Stores: Call for twelve-month lead in period if a 16 age of sale limit is to be introduced for high energy drinks. View >