Key facts
- An advert for Huel meal replacement shakes has been banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
- The ASA ruled the advert could lead viewers to assume replacing all conventional food with Huel was nutritionally appropriate and compatible with elite physical performance.
- The advert featured Huel brand ambassador Spencer Matthews recounting an anecdote about an ultramarathon runner who exclusively consumed Huel.
- The runner won a 260km race 'by miles' after only eating Huel, according to Matthews.
- The ASA received four complaints about the advert, two of which challenged health claims.
An advert for Huel meal replacement shakes has been banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for encouraging or condoning 'irresponsible' dietary practices. The advert featured Huel brand ambassador Spencer Matthews sharing an anecdote about a person he met who 'only eats Huel' and who won a 260km race 'by miles'.
The ASA stated that viewers could interpret the anecdote as suggesting that replacing all conventional food with Huel was nutritionally appropriate and compatible with elite physical performance. The watchdog upheld complaints that the advert implied a beneficial relationship between consuming Huel and sustaining exceptionally high levels of physical and endurance performance.
Huel, founded in 2015, argued that the anecdote was not a recommendation and the ad's purpose was to challenge the misconception that Huel could replace every meal. The company stated that the advert unambiguously positioned Huel as part of a balanced diet for occasions when preparing whole food was not practicable. The advert appeared as a sponsored Instagram post and YouTube pre-roll ad.
The market for so-called complete nutrition products is valued at $5.9 billion (£4.4 billion). The ASA received four complaints about the advert, with two challenging the health claims made.