The number of vegan and vegetarian options available to consumers have mushroomed in recent years, including a growing number of products that seek to approximate the taste and texture of meat with animal-free alternatives. From mycoprotein burgers to seitan sausages, the days where the only veggie BBQ option was a bun with lettuce are thankfully long past. But as with all products, it’s critical that consumers understand what they are buying - so lettuce outline three key tips to ensure your tofu ads aren’t woeful.
Tempeh expectations
Avoid over-stating your claims. For example, in 2020 the ASA investigated ads for Burger King’s “Rebel Whopper” that featured claims such as “plant-based burger” and “100% WHOPPER. NO BEEF”. However, the patty was cooked alongside meat products and the completed burger contained egg mayonnaise. Furthermore, the ad was published during “Veganuary” and used a green colour palette, resulting in the ASA ruling that overall, the ads gave the misleading impression the burger was vegan and vegetarian friendly.
Don’t butcher the language
UK law prohibits the use of the term “milk” to promote non-dairy alternatives, but this does not currently apply to meat products, nor to terms such as “burger”, “steak”, or “sausage” which have no strict legal definition. When assessing complaints about “meat”-associated terms used to promote plant-based alternatives, the ASA will take account the context in which they appear, to ensure that consumers are sufficiently aware that they are purchasing plant-based food.
Ensure your meat-free health claims aren’t full of bull
As with all foods, only health claims authorised in the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Register are permitted in ads and advertisers must hold evidence that the product meets the conditions of use for any claims (e.g. it has a sufficient quantity or proportion of a certain ingredient). Health claims based solely on the fact that a product or ingredient is not derived from animals will not be acceptable. Generic health claims such as “a healthier choice” are only allowed in conjunction with an authorised health claim.
Nut enough for you? For further advice about food issues please see our advice and guidance. Our Copy Advice team is also on hand to provide free, bespoke advice on non-broadcast ads.
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