Food, drink and supplements

Helpful information on how to advertise Food, Drink and Supplements in line with the advertising rules, and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in this area.

The advertising of food, drink and supplements has come under scrutiny for a variety of reasons, such as concerns around promoting the consumption of unhealthy foods or making dubious nutritional claims. To protect consumers, especially children, and prevent them from being misled, we have strict rules in place for the advertising of food, drink and supplements.

When it comes to children, the emphasis is on advertisers creating responsible ads and the rules make clear they should not promote poor nutritional habits or unhealthy lifestyles. Advertisers are not allowed to use licensed characters in food and drink ads targeted at children, nor can they feature sales promotions in content targeted at this audience. We have also previously banned ads that exploit children’s vulnerability by suggesting they would be inferior if they did not eat or buy the product being advertised, and ads that have encouraged “pester power”.

Another key aspect of advertising food, drink and supplements is the promotion of the product’s health benefits. Advertisers are, of course, entitled to bring to the public’s attention the nutritional worth of their products but the rules in place are tough. The Advertising Codes reflect wide-reaching EU legislation and advertisers must hold evidence for authorised health claims as required by an EU Register. Claims that state or imply a food, drink or supplement prevents, treats or cures human disease are not permitted under any circumstances. Reduction of disease claims are allowed but only if they appear on the EU Register and only if they are presented clearly without exaggeration.

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Latest rulings

Aspire Nutrition
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 03 July 2024
A paid-for Facebook ad made claims that a supplement could help to prevent, treat or cure autism.
Happy Koala LLC t/a Happy Mammoth
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 03 July 2024
A paid-for Facebook ad for a weight-loss supplement made unauthorised health claims, made claims that people could lose fat from specific parts of the body and referred to a rate or amount of weight loss which is prohibited by our rules.
Mitchells & Butlers Leisure Retail Ltd t/a Harvester
- Upheld
- 03 July 2024
A website promotion for the Harvester app misleadingly omitted material information about the significant limitations and qualifications of the promotion
Spectrum Awakening
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 03 July 2024
A paid-for Facebook ad for Spectrum Awakening, a food supplement supplier, seen in March 2024 featured text that stated, "My 5 yr old son Scout is diagnosed with receptive expressive language disorder and sensory disorder. Until I found Spectrum Awakening he could barely put a sentence together with very limited s...

View all rulings

Food, drink and supplements

Helpful information on how to advertise Food, Drink and Supplements in line with the advertising rules, and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in this area.

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Relevant codes

12 Weight control and slimming

13 Weight control and slimming

15 Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims

13 Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims