The Department of Health and Social Care has introduced a blanket prohibition on the sale of high‑caffeine energy drinks from all vending machines, a move the vending‑machine trade body says will deprive the sector of £43 million annually.
The Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA) denounced the decision, warning that it will eliminate jobs and restrict access for adult consumers who purchase legally approved products.
Under the new rule, drinks containing more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre are already barred from sale to anyone under 16 in shops, online and other out‑of‑home outlets; vending machines are now prohibited from dispensing these drinks to any buyer, regardless of age.
Responsibility for compliance will fall on the owners or managers of premises where machines are placed, mirroring the liability framework used for tobacco. AVA argues the comparison is inappropriate, noting that tobacco is uniquely harmful while energy drinks are regulated, legal beverages for adults.
The enforcement framework introduces fixed penalties of £1,500 for individuals and small firms and £2,500 for larger operators, creating a new compliance risk for businesses that host machines.
More than 82 % of vending machines are situated in locations inaccessible to children, such as workplaces, factories and gyms, and no evidence has been presented that these sites significantly contribute to under‑age purchases. The industry already applies voluntary restrictions in venues frequented by children, including shopping centres.
Government officials rejected alternative approaches, including age‑verification technology and location‑specific limits, citing ease of enforcement despite acknowledging that the evidence linking energy drinks to the cited harms is not definitive.
AVA’s chief executive expressed disappointment, stating that the ban imposes a blunt, non‑evidence‑based instrument that will cost jobs, harm businesses and deny adults the right to purchase a lawful product.
The vending sector has recorded strong performance, generating £3.78 billion in turnover in 2025 and outpacing broader economic growth. Revenues from cold beverages, the category affected by the ban, rose 15.4 % and the majority of operators—predominantly small and medium‑sized enterprises—forecast continued expansion.
The British Soft Drinks Association supports limiting marketing of energy drinks to under‑16s and labels high‑caffeine beverages as not recommended for children, noting that most caffeine consumed by youths originates from other sources.
The restriction follows recent policy pressures on the drinks market, including proposals to extend the soft drinks levy to milk‑based products, and arrives at a time when confidence among small businesses is at a historic low.
AVA is calling on the government to reconsider the blanket ban and engage with the industry on targeted, evidence‑based measures that protect children without imposing disproportionate costs on businesses or restricting adult consumer choice.
