Background
This Ruling forms part of a wider piece of work on autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) The ad was identified for investigation following intelligence gathered by our Active Ad Monitoring system, which uses AI to proactively search for online ads that might break the rules. See also related rulings published on 10 December 2025.Ad description
A paid-for Google ad for Customized Autism Treatment (C.A.T.), a nutrition clinic, seen on 20 June 2025. Text stated, “Customized Autism Treatment – Autism Recovery Supplements” followed by “C.A.T stems from a growing body of research involving biologically-based practices We Are Here To Help You Treat And Manage Your Child’s Autism”.Issue
The ASA challenged whether the claims in the ad that stated or implied the supplements, or substances in them, could help prevent, treat or cure traits of autism, were in breach of the Code.Response
TAYHLI t/a C.A.T. said the ad was not intentionally created and may have appeared because of an old default in Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI), an automated feature that can insert outdated or unintended keywords. As a precaution, they took actions to prevent it happening again.Assessment
Upheld
The CAP Code (which reflected legislation) stated that claims which stated or implied a food prevented, treated or cured human disease were not acceptable in marketing communications for foods, including food supplements. It also stated that medicinal claims may be made for a medicinal product that was licensed by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) or under the auspices of the EMA (European Medicines Agency). Medicines must have a license from the MHRA or under the auspices of the EMA before they were marketed.
The ad stated, “Customized Autism Treatment – Autism Recovery Supplements” and “We Are Here To Help You Treat And Manage Your Child’s Autism”. The ASA considered that consumers were likely to understand these claims to mean that the supplements referenced in the ad could treat and help manage the traits of autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Claims to relieve symptoms, or to cure, or to provide a remedy or heal a specific health condition or adverse condition of body or mind were regarded as medicinal claims. Given the context of the reference to autism or ASD, we considered the claims referenced above were medicinal claims, and implied that the product had medicinal properties.
The “Autism Recovery” supplements were, in general terms, marketed as food supplements. For the purposes of the legislation reflected in the Code, its prohibition on claims that a food (including food supplements), could prevent, treat, or cure symptoms of human disease included medicinal claims. We therefore concluded the claims to alleviate traits of autism or ASD fell under that prohibition. Additionally, because the ad made medicinal claims for the supplements, they were defined as medicinal products for the purposes of medicines legislation. Claims that a product had medicinal properties may only be made for a medicinal product that was authorised by the MHRA or under the auspices of the EMA. We understood C.A.T. did not hold such authorisation for the supplements. We concluded the ad was therefore in breach of the Code’s requirements relating both to food supplements and to medicinal products.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 12.1 and 12.11 (Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products), 15.6 and 15.6.2 (Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims).
Action
The ad must not appear again in the form investigated. We told TAYHLI t/a C.A.T. to ensure their advertising did not make claims that food, including food supplements, could prevent, treat or cure conditions that, for the purposes of the Code, fell within the definition of human disease. Specifically that they must not make claims that stated or implied a food supplement could help reduce traits of autism. We also told them not to make medicinal claims for products that were not authorised by the MHRA.
