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

Tesco Stores Ltd t/a Tesco
- Upheld in part
- National press, Television
- 18 September 2019
TV and press basket comparison ads for Tesco were found to be misleading.
Digital Ad Works Ltd t/a supersavingdeal.com
- Upheld
- Internet (social networking)
- 11 September 2019
An ad on Facebook for a pancake cooker misleadingly implied it was free.
Iceland Foods Ltd t/a Second Avenue
- Upheld
- National press
- 11 September 2019
A regional press ad for Iceland price comparisons was banned for making misleading claims.
Mars Wrigley Confectionery UK Ltd
- Not Upheld
- Internet (social networking)
- 11 September 2019
An ad on YouTube for Maltesers was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence as we judged the advertiser had taken adequate measures to ensure that the ad was not irresponsibly targeted.

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

Tesco Stores Ltd t/a Tesco

Digital Ad Works Ltd t/a supersavingdeal.com

Iceland Foods Ltd t/a Second Avenue

Mars Wrigley Confectionery UK Ltd

Help getting it right

Popular advice

Cannabidiol (CBD) containing products

Food: HFSS Overview

Food: Health claims

Relevant codes

15 Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims

13 Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims