Juice Garden incurs ASA squeeze over 'Flu Shot' drink promotion
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a menu promotion from health food cafe and online retailer Juice Garden for implying that one of its products prevented, treated or cured disease.
Juice Garden incurs ASA squeeze over 'flu shot' drink promotion
The company, which is registered in Birmingham and has two outlets in Glasgow, allows customers to order fresh pressed drinks via its site or in-store, provoked two complaints from an individual who took issue with the naming of a juice titled 'Flu Shot' as well as the titles of several other products.
The complainant took issue with a menu on the retailer's website which featured drinks with names such as 'Immune', 'Colon Cleanser' and 'Shrink Me', as well as a drink called 'Flu Shot'.
The consumer challenged whether the titles of the juices hinted at health claims about their nutritional value, and contested whether the wording of 'Flu Shot' implied that the juice prevented, treated or cured disease.
Juice Garden, which says on its website it wants to "make being healthy cool again", said it did not claim to cure or prevent disease and that the claims in the menu related to the name of the drink, but the watchdog upheld the complaint.
"The ASA considered that consumers would understand the claim 'Flu Shot' to mean that the drink could help to prevent or treat flu infection," the organisation said in ruling. "We considered the claim therefore implied that the drink prevented, treated or cured human disease."
The regulator also noted that giving items on the menu names like 'Colon Cleanser' would imply to consumers that the drink would have beneficial effects on the body, which were not backed up by specific health claims.
While the ASA recognised that the titles of the other juices hinted at more general health perks these were still not accompanied by an authorised claim and as such breached the code.
The ad must not appear again in its current form, and the ASA has told Juice Garden to ensure it "does not make claims that food or drink products could prevent, treat or cure disease."
The company has also been warned not to make health claims unless they are authorised on the EU Register and not to make general health claims unless they are accompanied by a specific authorised health claim.