ASA Adjudication on As-Salaam Halal Foods

Ad

A young girl presented an As-Salaam food ad on GEO TV that stated “Hi kids, what a nutritious and healthy news. As-Salaam now launches very delicious and 100% halal snacks: try our chicken nuggets, chicken strips, chicken patties, beef burger patties, chicken and beef hot dogs, smoked turkey slices, beef patties, beef bologna, beef salami, turkey breakfast slices and beef breakfast slices. Now we can really enjoy our healthy snacks with 100% satisfaction. Thank you Al Salam.” The ad ended with several young children eating the products.

Issue

Monitoring staff challenged whether:

1. the ad misleadingly implied that the As-Salaam products were healthy and nutritious;

2. the ad was targeted directly at primary school children.

BCAP TV Code

Response

1.  GEO TV did not comment but submitted the nutritional information for each product.

2.  GEO TV maintained that, because the As-Salaam products were not available in the UK, the rules did not apply.

Assessment

1. Upheld

The ASA considered that the ad presented the As-Salaam products as healthy and nutritious snacks.  We understood that most of their products contained very high levels of sodium.  We noted that GEO TV had not substantiated the claim that the As-Salaam products were nutritious and healthy.  We considered that the ad had given a misleading impression of the health benefits of the As-Salaam products.

The ad breached CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code rule 8.3.1 (a) Accuracy in food advertising.

2.  Upheld

We noted GEO TV held an Ofcom licence and was required under the conditions of that licence to comply with the CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code.  We considered that the unavailability of the product in the UK did not mean the rules did not apply.  Although GEO TV did not confirm that they were, we understood that most of the products were high in fat,salt or sugar (HFSS).  We considered that the young presenter coupled with the introductory statement "Hi kids, what a nutritious and healthy news ... try our ... beef salami ... Now we can really enjoy our healthy snacks with 100% satisfaction" directly targeted primary school children with an ad for HFSS products.

The ad breached CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code rule 8.3.1 (c) Accuracy in food advertising.

Action

We concluded that the ad must not be shown again in its present form and that the products should not be advertised without adequate substantiation for the claims made.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Broadcast)