The most important meal of the day
09 December 2005
As we all know, breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, especially when it comes to children’s ability to concentrate in school. But promoting the healthy elements of a product can be misleading, especially if less healthy constituents are contained in it, for example high levels of salt, fat or sugar.
In an ad for a breakfast cereal, children were seen having a bowl of Shreddies for breakfast, with a voiceover saying “Shreddies have wholegrain carbohydrates … Studies show a breakfast like Shreddies helps give kids the mental energy they need to stay involved at school”. Later their teacher said “you can tell when they’ve had a good breakfast, they’re engaged, they’re enthusiastic”. On-screen text stated “School fuel.” Complainants objected that, because of high levels of salt and sugar, the impression of a healthy breakfast was misleading. Click here to read the adjudication.
An ad for Cheerios breakfast cereal encountered a similar problem, with statements such as “Because Cheerios are made from four healthy whole grains, corn, oats, rice and wheat, they are the perfect choice for growing families. And, because they’re the right shape and size for little hands and mouths, they’re perfect for little nippers too”. The complainant believed the ad would mislead readers because it was not made merely from corn, rice, oats and wheat but contained salt, sugar and other additives. Click here to read the adjudication.
In both instances, the advertisers should have assessed how much salt and sugar would be consumed in each portion, how much of that portion would be consumed by a child, the addition of milk and how all those factors contributed to the recommended daily nutritional needs of those consuming the product. In both, the levels of salt and sugar were not dangerously high and could be accommodated in a healthy diet for a child. The ASA Council decided the ads were unlikely to mislead. Advertisers should keep in mind the balance needed between promoting an element of a product and avoiding creating a misleading impression. The relevant clauses in the Codes are: (TV) 8.3.1 Accuracy in Food Advertising, (Radio) 3.12.1 Generalised Health Claims for Food and (Non-broadcast) 50.20 Scientific evidence as well as the Misleading rules in the TV, Radio and Non-broadcast Codes.
For more information, go to: www.cap.org.uk, especially the database of advice in the AdviceOnline section, or www.food.gov.uk