Kellogg’s faces ad ban over misleading health claims
Kellogg’s has been banned from making claims about the nutritional benefits of its Special K cereal in the UK. The company ran a TV advertisement claiming that the product was “full of goodness” and “nutritious.” Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rules mean that general health claims must be supported by a specific benefit to health.

Food giant Kellogg’s has been banned from telling consumers that its Special K cereal is “full of goodness” and “nutritious” in UK ad campaigns.

Kellogg’s ran a TV ad for Special K cereal promoting it as a “five grain super porridge full of goodness”.



The company’s website also says the Nutri K flakes used in Special K cereal help make “a nutritious start to your day”.

The Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint about the health claims.



Under ASA rules companies cannot make general health claims unless backed up by a specific health benefit for the consumer.



For example, while the Kellogg’s ad said Special K contains vitamin B2, which is good for skin, the ASA said that it wasn’t clearly linked to the general claim that it is “full of goodness”.



“We therefore considered the specific health claim did not appear with or immediately following the general health claim ‘full of goodness’,” said the ASA. “As such, we considered it did not accompany the general health claim and in that regard, the ad breached the [advertising] code.”



Similarly, the ASA said Kellogg’s failed to back up the “nutricious” claim on the website with a specific benefit from eating the cereal.



The ASA said that consumers had to click through two web pages to find a dedicated page with information on the Nutri K flakes and their specific health benefits.



“We therefore concluded the presentation of the claim, as it appeared on the home page, breached the [advertising] code,” the ASA said.



“[The ads] must not appear again in their current form. We told Kellogg Marketing and Sales UK to ensure that relevant authorised health claims accompanied any general health claims that featured in their advertising.”

