Advertising Watchdog Stops Huel Again: Misleading Health and Cost Benefits Criticized

The British advertising watchdog, Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), has once again halted an advertisement from the dietary supplement manufacturer Huel. The reason for this action is the unfounded claims regarding the health benefits and cost savings of the product compared to fruits and vegetables. A post published on Huel's Instagram channel, seen on April 3, featured company founder Julian Hearn, who claimed: "You've heard all your life that you should eat green vegetables, but many people struggle to incorporate that amount into their diet... We have taken a very wide range of vegetables so you get a product that is just as good, or in my eyes better, but significantly cheaper." The caption of the post read: "Superfoods to boost your health. Huel Daily Greens is packed with... gut-friendly probiotics. All the nutrients your body needs to thrive; Reduce fatigue and exhaustion with 26 essential vitamins and minerals like iron; Excellent source of biotin and collagen to support smooth, healthy skin." The ASA investigated the advertisement following a complaint that questioned the comparability of Huel’s products with fresh vegetables as well as the claimed cost savings. Huel explained to the ASA that the advertisement had been shortened due to an "editing error," which gave the false impression that it was a comparison with fresh green vegetables. The company acknowledged its mistake and assured that it would take measures to prevent a recurrence. According to ASA regulations, only approved nutritional and health claims are allowed in advertising. The ASA clarified that consumers generally understand "eat your vegetables" to refer to the consumption of fresh vegetables and thus held that Huel made an impermissible comparison regarding costs and nutritional values. The ASA decided: "As we have not seen evidence that the Daily Greens product is cheaper than a portion of vegetables, we concluded that the claim that the product is 'significantly cheaper' than an equivalent portion of vegetables is misleading and cannot be substantiated." The ASA also noted that all health claims for foods and supplements must be approved by a regulatory body and "presented clearly and without exaggeration." This decision is not the first of its kind against Huel. Last month, the ASA already halted a Huel advertisement for failing to disclose the commercial connection with entrepreneur and TV star Steven Bartlett. Another advertisement was banned in February 2023 due to misleading claims regarding cost savings with Huel's meal replacement shakes.