Food, drink and supplements

Helpful information on how to advertise Food, Drink and Supplements in line with the advertising rules, and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in this area.

The advertising of food, drink and supplements has come under scrutiny for a variety of reasons, such as concerns around promoting the consumption of unhealthy foods or making dubious nutritional claims. To protect consumers, especially children, and prevent them from being misled, we have strict rules in place for the advertising of food, drink and supplements.

When it comes to children, the emphasis is on advertisers creating responsible ads and the rules make clear they should not promote poor nutritional habits or unhealthy lifestyles. Advertisers are not allowed to use licensed characters in food and drink ads targeted at children, nor can they feature sales promotions in content targeted at this audience. We have also previously banned ads that exploit children’s vulnerability by suggesting they would be inferior if they did not eat or buy the product being advertised, and ads that have encouraged “pester power”.

Another key aspect of advertising food, drink and supplements is the promotion of the product’s health benefits. Advertisers are, of course, entitled to bring to the public’s attention the nutritional worth of their products but the rules in place are tough. The Advertising Codes reflect wide-reaching EU legislation and advertisers must hold evidence for authorised health claims as required by an EU Register. Claims that state or imply a food, drink or supplement prevents, treats or cures human disease are not permitted under any circumstances. Reduction of disease claims are allowed but only if they appear on the EU Register and only if they are presented clearly without exaggeration.

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Latest rulings

Mondelez UK Ltd t/a Cadbury
- Not Upheld
- Internet (video)
- 05 June 2019
A TV ad, YouTube ad and cinema ad for Cadbury, seen in late November 2018: a. The TV ad began with a secondary school-aged girl, wearing a Santa Claus mask and carrying a large ribbon-wrapped chocolate bar under her arm, walking through a school during classes. She dodged behind a wall to avoid a teacher a...
Dogmates Ltd t/a Butternut Box
- Upheld
- Internet (on own site)
- 10 April 2019
A website for Butternut Box dog food, www.butternutbox.com, seen on 29 June 2018, featured text which stated "Fresh, home-cooked meals. Perfectly portioned. Delivered to your door".
Perfetti Van Melle UK Ltd
- Not Upheld
- Internet (on own site), Internet (video), Internet (social games)
- 20 March 2019
A website, three Facebook posts and a YouTube video for Chupa Chups, seen on 20 March 2018: a. The home page of the website www.chupachups.co.uk, included icons for three videos which were hosted on a different page of the website, called “Promotions”. All three icons contained images of vloggers. It fea...

View all rulings

Food, drink and supplements

Helpful information on how to advertise Food, Drink and Supplements in line with the advertising rules, and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in this area.

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Latest rulings

Mondelez UK Ltd t/a Cadbury

Dogmates Ltd t/a Butternut Box

Perfetti Van Melle UK Ltd

Help getting it right

Popular advice

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Relevant codes

15 Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims

13 Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims