HFSS and UPF: The State of Play in 2026

Poor diet and a food environment that promotes unhealthy choices are contributing to rising rates of overweight and obesity across the UK, increasing the risk of chronic disease and placing growing pressure on health services. In this webinar, Dr Samuel Dicken and Lewis Wallis explore the current evidence surrounding foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPFs), including discussing scientific updates, implications for policy, and recommendations for dietary guidelines. This presentation was originally given at the British Nutrition Foundation Online Summit: Beyond the UPF Debate: Practical Actions to Improve the UK’s Food Environment – for further details and the full recording, see https://www.nutrition.org.uk/news/report-on-changing-the-food-environment-published/ Speakers: Dr Samuel Dicken Dr Samuel Dicken is a Research Fellow at the UCL Department of Behavioural Science and Health, and previously at the UCL Centre for Obesity Research, Division of Medicine. He is also a registered Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council, and Section Editor for the European Journal of Nutrition. Sam’s research focusses on the health impact of ultra-processed food using both experimental and observational methods. His work includes leading the first randomised controlled trial investigating the health effects of UPF and MPF diets following healthy dietary guidance, large scale cohort studies and food database studies, as well as involvement in the first behavioural support programme around UPF reduction alongside dietary guidance in UK adults. Lewis Wallis Lewis is a Regulatory & Nutrition Affairs Advisor in the Global Regulatory Affairs team at Campden BRI, advising on a range of topics including UK/EU/USA legislation and global nutrition policy, with experience writing on these topics for peer-reviewed journal articles, government research projects, book chapters, client-facing technical documents, white papers, and guidance documents. He regularly presents on Campden BRI training courses and at a range of industry and academic events on the topics of nutrient profiling, High Fat Sugar Salt (HFSS) legislation, ultra-processed foods, and front-of-pack nutrition labelling.