GlaxoSmithKline's High Court defeat in its battle with the Advertising Standards Authority over the controversial ad campaign for Ribena ToothKind is a "vindication of all our processes", said a spokesman for the regulator. The court upheld an earlier ASA ruling that advertisements for the blackcurrent drink made misleading claims about the product's contribution to dental health. With the strapline, Ribena Toothkind does not encourage tooth decay', the adverts featured bottles of the product acting as bristles on a toothbrush, with the corresponding slogan: There is only one soft drink endorsed by the British Dental Association.' But Jack Winkler, chairman of pressure group Action and Information in Sugars, welcomed the ruling and said Ribena ToothKind was not positively beneficial for your teeth, as the adverts suggested. "This sets an important precedent for raising the standard for evidence required to justify health claims." Winkler is meeting GlaxoSmithKline and the BDA to "establish rules of the game, so the BDA knows what it can safely endorse and manufacturers are clear about the type of health claims that can legitimately be made about functional foods' ". GlaxoSmithKline is considering an appeal. {{NEWS }}

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