This week · UK food and drink

Meta's 28 October switch, Google's AI Mode links rolling out and the ASA's latest health-claim warnings: the week's food and drink marketing news

Three things moved between 11 and 18 October. One has a deadline. Here is what changed, what it means for a food or drink brand, and what to check before the end of the month.

By Pasi Sipilä, founder of Ziild · 19 October 2026

In short

Meta will switch on product browsing in your running Facebook and Instagram ads on 28 October unless you opt out. Google is moving links higher in its AI answers, and the ASA continues to uphold complaints about unauthorised health claims, so check your claims before Christmas campaigns go live.

Meta: product browsing switches on in running ads from 28 October

Meta has notified advertisers that it will add product browsing to ads already running on Facebook and Instagram from 28 October 2026, unless they opt out first.

The notice, quoted by PPC Land, says: "When people tap your ad, they may see an experience on Facebook or Instagram with product info and personalized suggestions."

Ads Uploader, a third-party tool that logs Meta changes, dates the notice to 14 October. That gave advertisers about 14 days.

The feature is not new. What changes is the default for running ads, from off to on.

Meta's evidence is thin. The notice cites "3% more conversions" on average, from a test run 6–21 August 2026 with about 117,700 advertisers worldwide across "3+ verticals". It does not say whether those conversions happened in the app or on advertisers' sites. It says nothing about return on ad spend, cost per click or order value.

As of 15–16 October there was no Meta Help Center article, changelog entry or newsroom post. The notice also does not say which formats, placements or objectives are affected, or whether new ads get it too. Ask your agency for a screenshot of the notice.

What it means: if you sell direct from a product catalogue, people who tap an ad may stay inside Facebook or Instagram instead of reaching your site. That can lower site sessions, shrink the website audiences you retarget and change attribution in the Christmas trading period. The personalised suggestions may also show products you did not pick for that ad. If some of your range is high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS), check what could appear.

Opt out with the "Opt out" button in the notice before 28 October.
Or switch it off ad by ad, at any time, under Advantage+ Creative and Destination settings.
Before 28 October, write down your current click-through rate, site sessions and conversions so you can measure any change.

Google: more links, higher up, in AI Mode and AI Overviews

On 15 October Google published "More ways to connect with the web from Search". It lists five changes to links in AI Mode and AI Overviews.

Google does not say which of these reach the UK, or when. Treat them as rolling out, not live.

Use of Preferred Sources has grown more than sevenfold since the start of the year, Google says, without giving a starting figure.

There is still no separate AI Mode click data in Search Console. Google told Search Engine Roundtable it will "introduce additional metrics over time".

What it means: the official-links test could help your own site appear for task searches such as where to buy, store finders, recall notices or allergen information. That is a reading of the change, not something Google has said.

More links inside the answer text, placed higher. Google calls these "continued and substantial increases".
A test of a section at the top of answers highlighting the one or two official links needed to complete a task.
News carousels for timely topics, highlighting a user's Preferred Sources, rolling out to more locations.
Image thumbnails in the "Dive Deeper" section.
A test of clickable creator and publisher names on video results, linking to Search profiles. Search profiles launched in the US only, on 4 June 2026.

ASA: no food health-claim ruling confirmed this week, but the rules have not moved

We could not confirm an ASA health-claim ruling against a food or drink brand published between 11 and 18 October. Rulings come out on Wednesdays, so check the 15 October list on the ASA rulings page yourself.

The ASA homepage lists a recent upheld ruling against Unicorn Brands Ltd t/a Nutrition Geeks over a paid social ad. We could not see its date or the claims involved.

The clearest recent food example is outside the window. On 28 September NutraIngredients reported that the ASA ruled a Whitworths Instagram ad made unauthorised health claims, including "Live longer" and links between eating nuts and lower cholesterol and less heart disease.

The standing rule is simple. The ASA says claims that a food, drink or supplement prevents, treats or cures disease are "not permitted under any circumstances". Health claims must be authorised on the official register.

This is a summary, not legal advice.

A number worth knowing

Whito, an independent analysis firm, looked at 72 formal ASA rulings from 29 July to 14 October 2026. By its count, 66 of the 72 went against the advertiser.

This is Whito's figure, not an official ASA statistic. The plain point stands: if a complaint reaches a formal ruling, the advertiser usually loses.

What to check before 31 October

Four jobs. None takes more than an afternoon.

Ziild CMO runs this kind of work from one chat for a Nordic wine and food importer, including a recipe network that earned 210,000+ Google AI-answer impressions in three months. If that is useful, book 15 minutes at https://ziild.co.uk/book.

Decide by 28 October whether to opt out of Meta's product browsing or test it on a few ads. Record baseline figures now.
Check which products Meta's suggestions could show, especially any HFSS lines.
Make sure your own pages for where to buy, allergens and recalls are clear and easy for Google to crawl, and watch Search Console.
Check every health claim in your ads and influencer posts against the official register of authorised claims.

Questions people ask

Do I have to do anything about Meta's product browsing change?

Only if you do not want it. From 28 October 2026 it switches on in running ads by default. You can opt out through the notice before then, or turn it off ad by ad under Advantage+ Creative and Destination settings at any time.

Has Meta officially announced product browsing for existing ads?

No. Meta notified advertisers directly. As of 15–16 October there was no Help Center article, changelog entry or newsroom post.

Are Google's new AI Mode links live in the UK?

Google has not said which changes reach the UK or when. The official-links section is a test, and Search profiles launched in the US only.

Can I measure clicks from AI Mode separately?

Not yet. Search Console does not show AI Mode clicks separately. Google says it will introduce additional metrics over time.

Can a food or drink ad say a product lowers cholesterol or helps you live longer?

Only claims authorised on the official register are allowed, and the ASA says disease prevention, treatment or cure claims are not permitted under any circumstances. The ASA ruled against Whitworths for claims of this kind. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Sources

Written by the Ziild machine from the sources above and approved by Pasi before publishing. Spotted an error? pasi@ziild.co.uk