Welcome to the Retail, Food & Hospitality Regulatory & EU round-up. Week ending 22 March 2026.

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.

Sign up now to receive the next edition direct to your inbox

Retail, Food & Hospitality Important updates

OFCOM Impose penalties over child protection on US based tech firm: On 19 March OFCOM imposed a £450k penalty on US Company 4Chan in respect of failure to prevent access by under 18’s to pornographic material on its site. OFCOM also fined the company £50,000 for not assessing the risk of illegal material appearing on its platform, and £20,000 for not setting out in its terms of service how it protects people from criminal content. The company has a period of 28 days in which to make payment. View >

Association of Convenience Stores launch ‘Decline09’ campaign: ACS has issued guidance for retailers about the new regulation in force from 1^st January 2027 that will prevent the sale of tobacco product to anyone born after the 1^st January 2009. View >

389 businesses named and shamed for breach of minimum wage: The Department for Business and Trade has published a list of 389 businesses found to have paid workers below the minimum wage including the number of workers and amounts required to be repaid. ISS was required to pay around £2.2million to 6,000 employees, but many small businesses are also named and shamed. View >

Advertising watchdog to consider new funding options: The Advertising Standards Board of Finance has set up a task force to explore future funding options for the UK self-regulatory system for advertising. The current funding model, largely unchanged since 1974, is heavily reliant on agency-mediated spend and no longer reflects the structure of the modern market. The taskforce is supported by Google and Meta who have also provided additional interim funding support to the system to ensure financial stability while a solution is found. View >

EU updates

UK Chancellor sets out ‘National interest principles’ for EU alignment: Rachel Reeves MP has set out brief principles for future EU engagement including increasing alignment, working with the EU on regulatory burden reduction and increased engagement with UK businesses on future EU regulation. Under the plan the UK will ‘consider aligning with rules where it boosts long‑term growth and benefits consumers, supports investment and better jobs, preserves or enhances UK security and resilience, and provides stable, forward‑looking certainty for business’. View >

EU Regulations:

Authorising feed additives: bacterial strain DSM 11798 of the Eggerthellaceae family > Weizmania faecalis DSM 32016 as a feed additive >
Delisting feed additives: ginseng extract > great burdock extract (Arctium lappa L) >
Postponing expiry date for biocides: alphachloralose > basic copper carbonate > copper hydroxide > copper (II) oxide >
Approving biocide: 2,2-Dibromo-2-cyanoacetamide (DBNPA) >
Rejecting biocide: formaldehyde as a reaction product >
Amending authorisation of biocide: product family Taski-Room care-Suma >

European Food Safety Authority:

Safety evaluation of food additive. blue galdieria >
Maximum residue levels for plant protection product. lambda-cyhalothrin >

Developments to watch

DEFRA: Publish updates on disease epidemics: Blue tongue > Avian flu >

DEFRA: Publish waste crime action plan with intention to increase Environment Agency enforcement powers. View > View >

Department for Business and Trade: Publish 2026 remit for the Low Pay Commission. View >

US Consumer Product Safety Commission: Impose $11.5 million penalty on Shimano for failure to report unsafe bicycle gear mechanism. View >

Ethical Trading Initiative: Publish blog setting out five principles for avoiding human rights issues in garment supply chains. 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: Publish further research on business attitudes to product safety. View >

Appointments:

Gambling Commission: Sue Young, Executive Director of Operations. View >

British Chambers of Commerce: Chair, Michael Hayman MBE. View >

Climate Change Committee: Board members Professor Andrew Jordan, EmilyNorton, Professor Laura Diaz Anadon. View >

Update preferences

Unsubscribe

Only access by the addressee is authorised. Any liability (in negligence, contract or otherwise) arising from any third party taking any action, or refraining from taking any action on the basis of any of the information contained in this e-mail is hereby excluded. In the event that you are not the addressee, please notify the sender immediately. Do not discuss, disclose the contents to any person, or store or copy the information in any medium or use it for any purpose whatsoever. Copyright in this e-mail (and any attachments created by DWF Law LLP, belongs to DWF Law LLP which asserts the right to be identified as such and hereby objects to any misuse thereof. For the avoidance of doubt, DWF Law LLP does not accept service of documents by e-mail, and the use of e-mail does not imply that it is willing to do so, unless otherwise expressly agreed.

DWF Law LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales (registered number OC423384) with its registered office at 1 Scott Place, 2 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3AA. DWF Law LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as an Alternative Business Structure. Our professional code of conduct can be accessed at https://www.sra.org.uk DWF Law LLP is listed on the Financial Services Register as an Exempt Professional Firm, able to carry out certain insurance mediation activities (regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority). The term 'Partner' is used to refer to a Member of DWF Law LLP or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualification. A list of the Members of DWF Law LLP and of the Non-Members who are designated as Partners is open to inspection at our registered office, DWF Law LLP, 1 Scott Place, 2 Hardman Street, Manchester,Greater Manchester,M3 3AA,England. The recipient of this e-mail will, at all times, be dealing with DWF Law LLP unless it is clear from the context or specifically attributed to another DWF group entity unless it is clear from the context or specifically attributed to DWF in Ireland.