Overview
- The ad regulator issued its first decisions under the new law, blocking Lidl Northern Ireland and Iceland promotions that featured foods classed as high in fat, salt or sugar.
- The rules bar HFSS ads on TV before 9pm and online at any time, and products are judged within 13 categories using a nutrient profile score that flags items high in fat, salt or sugar.
- Lidl’s influencer post featured a Pain Suisse pastry that qualified as a sweetened bread product and scored as less healthy, and the retailer removed the ad after the ASA’s ruling.
- Iceland ran two display ads on the Daily Mail website that included confectionery such as Swizzels and Haribo, and the supermarket said a faulty third-party data feed caused the inclusion.
- The ASA also cleared two complaints, finding an influencer’s German Doner Kebab post and an On The Beach TV spot did not promote restricted foods.