The new Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) is built on the latest science and has been updated in line with the latest dietary advice, particularly in relation to free sugars, which are more strongly correlated with poor health outcomes, including obesity.

The Government committed in the 10-Year Health Plan to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink by applying the new NPM. Applying the new NPM to these policies is expected to reduce a further 110,000 cases of childhood obesity. We published the new NPM on 27 January 2026, and on 25 March 2026 we launched a 12-week consultation on its proposed application to the restrictions, as well as a consultation-stage impact assessment.

The consultation-stage impact assessment includes impacts on businesses.

The impact assessment takes account of likely consumer behaviour, using recent purchasing data and modelling which includes assumptions about how consumers and businesses may respond to the restrictions. This could include consumers switching between products and retailers using alternative promotional activity. These assumptions were tested through sensitivity analysis.

We have engaged extensively with stakeholders throughout the consultation period and sought further evidence on the potential impacts of the proposals as part of the consultation process. We will use the evidence gathered to inform the final impact assessment which, subject to the outcome of the consultation, would be published ahead of any legislative changes being made.

Since 2017, the calorie intake for Service Personnel has been based on the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition's statement on 'Military Dietary Reference Values for Energy'. This states that for those in Active Service the recommended daily calorie intake is between 3,300-3,800 calories for males and 2,600-2,900 for females.

This document can be found on the Government website with the relevant table on page 9:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8009db40f0b6230269123b/SACN_military_DRVs_for_energy_position_statement.pdf

Prior to 2017 and this report, the recommended calorie intake for personnel was between 2,620-2,810 for males and 1,940-2,060 for females.

DFID is already taking steps to report using the nutrition policy marker. This includes ensuring there is guidance on how it should be used and to ensure it is applied consistently. DFID will start to report on the nutrition policy marker through the OECD DAC Creditor Reporting System for 2020 aid spending onwards.

DFID invests in regular reviews and evaluations of its programmes and we use this information – as well as evidence generated by others – to inform the design and evolution of our investments.

This approach is being used to ensure new programmes in areas such as agriculture, social protection and climate adaptation have a positive impact on nutrition and health.

We are also continuing to invest in research – particularly in relation to agriculture and food production – to build evidence on the most effective approaches.

The UK’s ambition to end the preventable deaths of mothers, new-borns and children by 2030 is supported by our commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and addressing malnutrition through Nutrition for Growth.

The UK’s £1.44 billion of support to Gavi between 2016-2020 has saved 1.4 million lives from vaccine-preventable diseases in 68 of the world’s poorest countries. The UK hosted pledging conference for Gavi on 3-4^th June 2020, is an opportunity for the UK to use its global leadership to secure Gavi the funds it needs to reach 300 million more children and save at least 7 million lives between 2021 and 2025.

The 2020 Nutrition for Growth Summit will be an important opportunity to secure new commitments to nutrition, to set the world on a better track to achieve the Global Goals and to help achieve our ambition of ending preventable deaths by 2030.

The UK is committed to addressing malnutrition as part of our pledge to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030.

High-impact nutrition services are an essential part of health services and coverage. We are integrating nutrition into our health programmes in countries such as the DRC and Somalia and will continue with this approach.

People also need to have access nutritious and sustainable diets. We are supporting the roll out of climate-resilient crops and helping to ensure nutritious foods – including fruits and vegetables – are more affordable. We will continue to look for ways to maximise the impact of our investments in areas such as agriculture, social protection and climate adaptation on people’s health and nutrition.

The UK worked with other Governments to support the adoption of the nutrition policy marker by the OECD. We also led efforts to develop guidance on how it should be applied. The new policy marker will significantly improve our ability to track aid spending on nutrition. We are taking steps to ensure we use this policy marker to best effect in our reporting systems.

DFID officials are working closely with the Government of Japan to prepare for the 2020 Nutrition for Growth Summit. This will be an important opportunity to secure new commitments to nutrition, to set the world on a better track to achieve the Global Goals and to help achieve our ambition of ending preventable deaths by 2030.

We are in the process of identifying the most appropriate and impactful commitment the UK Government can make as part of the 2020 Summit.

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of 45% of all child mortality and so effective prevention and treatment of malnutrition is critical for ending preventable deaths – a priority for the UK government as announced recently.

Since 2015 DFID has reached 60.3 million women, adolescent girls and children with nutrition-related services, including in fragile and conflict affected states such as Somalia, Myanmar, and Yemen, and among refugee populations in Uganda and Bangladesh.

This includes supporting life-saving treatment for children with acute malnutrition, targeted nutrition support for pregnant and breastfeeding women and investments to monitor the severity of malnutrition to enable earlier action to prevent people dying of this preventable condition.

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of 45% of child deaths. Addressing malnutrition is therefore key for ending preventable deaths, and we have recently announced a renewed commitment to end preventable deaths of mothers, new-borns and children by 2030.

The UK championed nutrition as a core aspect of universal health coverage at the high-level meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

We are prioritising the integration of highly cost-effective nutrition services, such as breastfeeding promotion and treatment for child wasting, into our health programmes in a range of countries. We are also promoting the inclusion of indicators to track nutrition outcomes.

Gavi’s mission to save children’s lives by increasing equitable use of vaccines is directly aligned to the UK’s ambition to end preventable deaths of new-born babies and children under 5 years of age by 2030, under Sustainable Development Goal 3, and we have recently renewed our commitment to this goal. The UK is the largest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, committing £1.44 billion between 2016 and 2020. This support will vaccinate 76 million additional children by 2020, saving 1.4 million lives from vaccine-preventable diseases in 68 of the world’s poorest countries. The UK will host the pledging conference for Gavi in June 2020.

DFID support to Gavi includes a wider package of health care support designed to strengthen and integrate services. Immunisation is often a child’s first point of contact with their health service. It creates an opportunity where malnourished children can be identified and treated. Vaccines can also prevent some of the infectious diseases and causes of malnutrition.

The UK is committed to investment in the integration of nutrition within other sectors, including health. We have championed efforts to achieve universal health coverage by bringing together initiatives on health security, antimicrobial resistance, and nutrition, into a single universal health coverage approach.

The UK Government has been a global leader on nutrition since we hosted the first Nutrition for Growth Summit in 2013.

Earlier this month the Secretary of State for International Development committed to prioritise ending preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children in the developing world by 2030. Addressing malnutrition is critical and central to this ambition. Improving nutrition in developing countries is also key for achieving at least 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Since 2015 DFID has reached 60 million women, adolescent girls and young children with nutrition services – including lifesaving treatment for child wasting, support for breastfeeding and new crop varieties that are rich in essential nutrients.

We are working with the Government of Japan to help prepare for the Nutrition for Growth Summit in December 2020. The Summit will be an important opportunity to set the world on the path towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target to end malnutrition in all its forms by 2030.

We will be looking closely over the coming months at what further commitment the UK can make at the 2020 Summit to contribute to this important goal.

The UK is the largest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, committing £1.44 billion between 2016 and 2020. This support will vaccinate 76 million additional children by 2020, saving 1.4 million lives from vaccine-preventable diseases in 68 of the world’s poorest countries. The UK will host the pledging conference for Gavi in June 2020.

DFID support to Gavi includes a wider package of health care support designed to strengthen and integrate services. Immunisation is often a child’s first point of contact with their health service. It creates an opportunity where malnourished children can be identified and treated. Vaccines can also prevent some of the infectious diseases and causes of malnutrition.

The UK is committed to investment in the integration of nutrition within other sectors, including health. We have championed efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage by bringing together initiatives on health security, antimicrobial resistance, and nutrition, into a single Universal Health Coverage approach.

Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a key part of tackling undernutrition. For example, the act of infant and child feeding needs good personal hygiene – hand washing with soap and water, and good food hygiene. Since 2015, DFID has helped over 51 million poor people in Africa and Asia get access to a drinking water supply or toilet for the first time.

DFID also supports programmes where water supplies are developed for multiple uses, which include nutrition objectives. For example, a DFID-supported project in Madagascar has partnered with the agricultural sector to develop water supplies for domestic use and for irrigating market gardens, to improve nutrition and build resilience to future shocks.

Since the release of its 2017 Nutrition Position Paper, DFID has focused on meaningfully integrating nutrition across relevant aspects of its portfolio, particularly health, agriculture, social protection, humanitarian and economic development. For example, we are working with others to improve the impact of the Kenya Hunger Safety Net Programme on nutrition and we are integrating key nutrition services in our wider health programmes such as in South Sudan and DRC. DFID also advocates for other international partners to integrate nutrition, including UNICEF, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Bank.