Six supplement brands have had their wrists slapped by the Advertising Standards Authority this week for claiming their products can help to treat anxiety.
The watchdog banned social media ads from Auri Nutrition, Novomins Nutrition, Feel Güd, Nutriburst Vitamins, Vitality Greens and Well Gummies for making unpermitted health claims in paid-for Facebook posts seen in March.
Auri Nutrition’s ad claimed its Super Mushroom Gummies could “eliminate stress”, while Novomins linked its Night-Time Gummies to “deeper sleep”, “less stress” and “less anxiety”.
The ASA investigated four paid-for ads posted by Feel Güd. Two were accompanied by a caption that claimed its functional mushroom gummies “help with the effects of anxiety”.
Nutriburst, meanwhile, claimed its gummies containing ashwagandha KSM-66 could “reduce stress and anxiety” in a paid-for Facebook ad, while Vitality Greens said its VitaShroom Gummies could “crush stress”.
Finally, Well Gummies linked its products to stress relief in two Facebook ads. It also claimed its lion’s mane supplements reduced “symptoms of anxiety and depression” in a TikTok ad.
The ASA reprimanded all six brands for making “prohibited claims which stated or implied a food could prevent, treat or cure human disease”.
When approached by The Grocer, a spokesman for the ASA confirmed this latest clampdown on supplement brands was “part of some proactive project work we’ve been running”.
“Using our Active Ad Monitoring system, a world-leading AI tool, we’re able to process over three million online ads a month, and recently we’ve turned that tool towards claims with supplements,” the spokesman said.
“We’ve published rulings on a variety of conditions these products claim to treat, including menopause, ADHD and anxiety.
“Our rules are clear: you can’t claim a product can treat human disease or conditions unless licensed to do so.
“It’s our job to make sure vulnerable audiences are protected, and ads like these are speaking directly to those audiences. That’s why it’s so important they’re honest and not misleading.”’
A spokeswoman for Nutriburst said “we understand while while Ashwagandha KSM-66 has many clinical trials and claims that can be made globally, these are currently not recognised in the UK”.
“We understand the importance of adhering to regulations and maintaining transparency in our marketing communications and removed anything not UK compliant immediately,” she added.
The Grocer has approached Auri Nutrition, Novomins Nutrition, Feel Güd, Vitality Greens and Well Gummies for comment.
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