Coca-Cola has been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority for misleadingly claiming its sugar-heavy Vitaminwater drinks are "nutritious".

The advertising watchdog ruled Coke's description to be misleading as consumers would not expect a "nutritious drink" to contain the equivalent of four or five teaspoons of added sugar (23g per half-litre).

"We noted some fruit juice drinks and semi-skimmed milk contained more sugar per 100ml than Vitaminwater, but considered most consumers would understand that these products contained naturally occurring sugars as opposed to added sugars," it said, banning the word "nutritious" from future ad campaigns for the products.

In 2009, Coke was ordered to remove slogans like “more muscles than brussels” and “keep perky when you’re feeling murky” from its Vitaminwater adds following ASA intervention.

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