The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has prohibited a Huel advert for non-compliance with advertising codes.
- This is the second instance within two months where Huel has faced regulatory action.
- The advert, featured on Instagram, presented unverified claims about the Huel Daily Greens product.
- Assertions included unjustified nutrient comparisons and cost-related statements.
- Prior incidents involved similar breaches, indicating a pattern of non-compliance.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has once more taken enforcement actions against the meal replacement company Huel by banning an advertisement that contravened established advertising standards. The ASA emphasised that this marks the second instance in as many months where Huel has been found in violation of these regulations. In this particular case, the advertisement in question was disseminated via Instagram and prominently featured the company’s founder, Julian Hearn.
In the advertisement, Hearn extolled the benefits of the company’s product, Daily Greens, suggesting it provided a nutritional content comparable to, if not exceeding, that of conventional green vegetables. However, the ASA flagged these assertions, noting that such claims were not categorised as “permitted comparative nutrient claims”. Furthermore, the advertisement purported that the product was “substantially cheaper.” These claims lacked sufficient evidence, leading to the ban.
The ASA further criticised the advertisement for other health-related statements which remained unsubstantiated, including assertions regarding iron and biotin levels, alongside descriptors like “superfoods to supercharge your health”, “gut-friendly probiotics”, and “all the nutrients your body needs to thrive”. This lack of empirical support prompted regulatory censure.
Significantly, this incident mirrors a prior regulatory encounter in August, when Huel faced similar restrictions. On that occasion, advertisements on Facebook were found to be problematic, chiefly because they included a testimonial from entrepreneur Steven Bartlett. The ASA identified this as misleading, as Bartlett’s affiliation with the company as a director was undisclosed. This underscores an ongoing issue with non-compliance within Huel’s marketing strategies.
In summary, the recurrent regulatory interventions underscore the importance of adherence to advertising standards.
