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

Kind Patches Ltd
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 04 February 2026
Four paid-for Facebook ads for a supplement company misleadingly implied their products had health benefits without having suitable evidence to back these claims up.
Whitworths Ltd
- Upheld
- Social media (own site)
- 28 January 2026
An Instagram carousel post for WhitworthsUK misleadingly implied that a product counted toward the Government’s recommended “five a day” portions of fruit and vegetables and made unauthorised comparative nutrition claims.
Real Health Supplements Ltd
- Upheld
- 24 December 2025
A website page for a supplement company made claims that their food supplements could prevent, treat or cure human diseases and conditions.
EllaOla Brands Inc t/a EllaOlla
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 10 December 2025
A paid-for Facebook ad for a supplement retailer made claims that a food supplement could help reduce traits of autism and made medicinal claims for products that weren’t authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The ad also made unauthorised health claims, falsely implied they...

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

Kind Patches Ltd

Whitworths Ltd

Real Health Supplements Ltd

EllaOla Brands Inc t/a EllaOlla

Help getting it right

Popular advice

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Multi-Level Marketing

Relevant codes

12 Weight control and slimming

13 Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims

15 Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims

13 Weight control and slimming