Ad description
A paid-for Facebook ad for Organic Burst, an online retailer of food supplements and food products, seen on 17 March 2023, made various claims for the food supplement spirulina. Text stated “One of the known reasons for early grey hair is Vitamin B12 deficiency … Spirulina contains methylcobalamin, a very effective and absorbable form of Vitamin B12 … Did You Know? Taking just 1-2 tsp Spirulina a day can … reverse gray [sic] hair …”.
Issue
The complainant challenged whether the implied claim that spirulina could treat vitamin B12 deficiency and therefore reverse the growth of grey hair was a claim that a food could treat clinical vitamin deficiency and treat or cure human disease, which was a breach of the Code.Response
Organic Burst World S.A. did not respond to the ASA’s enquiries.Assessment
Upheld
The ASA was concerned by Organic Burst World S.A.’s lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code, which was a breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 1.7 (Unreasonable delay). We reminded them of their responsibility to respond promptly to our enquiries and told them to do so in future.
The Code further required that ads for foods, including food supplements, must not claim to treat clinical vitamin deficiencies or state or imply that a food or food supplement could prevent, treat or cure human disease.
We considered readers would interpret the ad, which stated that Vitamin B12 deficiency was a cause of the early growth of grey hair and that Spirulina contained “a very effective and absorbable form of Vitamin B12”, and which contained the claim “Taking just 1-2 tsp Spirulina a day can … reverse gray [sic] hair …” to mean that consuming the stated quantity of spirulina would correct vitamin B12 deficiency and, as a result, reverse the growth of grey hair.
We considered that the ad claimed that the food supplement could treat a clinical vitamin deficiency and one of its symptoms. We concluded that the ad therefore breached the Code.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 15.6.2 (Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims) and 15.9 (Food supplements and other vitamins and minerals).
Action
The ad must not appear again in the form complained of. We told Organic Burst World S.A. to ensure their ads did not state or imply that a food supplement could prevent, treat or cure human disease or treat clinical vitamin or mineral deficiencies and their symptoms, including the reversal of the growth of grey hair. We referred the matter to the CAP Compliance team.
