The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has once again banned an advertisement from the meal replacement brand Huel.
- The advert was on Instagram, showcasing the founder discussing their Daily Greens product.
- Huel claimed their product was nutritionally comparable or superior to green vegetables at a lower cost.
- The ASA ruled these claims breached the advertising code and lacked supportive evidence.
- This marks the second ban in two months for Huel due to advertising code violations.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has taken action against Huel for the second time in two months, citing breaches of advertising code. The recent advert, posted on Huel’s Instagram, featured Julian Hearn, the company’s founder, discussing their Daily Greens product. Within the video, Hearn asserted, “You’ve been told your whole life to eat greens, and a lot of people can’t get that amount of greens into their diet […] we’ve taken a very broad range of greens, so you get a product which is equally good, or in my eyes better, but you get it substantially cheaper.”
The ASA noted that Huel’s claim of their product having comparable or greater nutritional content than an equivalent portion of green vegetables was not a ‘permitted comparative nutrient claim’. This was deemed a violation of the advertising rules. Furthermore, the watchdog highlighted that Huel did not present any evidence to substantiate claims that the product was significantly cheaper than a daily intake of fresh greens.
Additionally, Huel failed to verify several health-related claims associated with their product. These included assertions about iron and biotin content, and phrases like ‘superfoods to supercharge your health’, ‘gut-friendly probiotics’, and ‘all the nutrients your body needs to thrive’.
Back in August, another Huel advert on Facebook came under scrutiny for featuring entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, who did not disclose his position as a director of the company. This lack of transparency was also flagged by the ASA as misleading to consumers. These consecutive violations underscore the importance of substantiated and transparent advertising, particularly in the health and nutrition sector.
Huel’s repeated breaches highlight the critical necessity for compliance with advertising standards to ensure consumer trust.
