YouTube personalities MrBeast, KSI and Logan Paul have been criticised by UK health campaigners for making irresponsible nutrition claims in the marketing of their latest venture, Lunchly.
The trio of influencers last week unveiled three Lunchly kits, each comprising a ‘main’ dish accompanied by a Feastables Chocolate bar and Prime Hydration drink.
Turkey Stack ‘Ems, The Pizza and Fiesta Nachos are currently exclusive to the US market, but KSI – real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji – said he hoped to bring the range to the UK in “the next few months”.
However, Lunchly’s positioning as a ‘better-for-you lunch option’ has been met with a backlash from UK health campaigners.
“Lunchly is the latest example of products that are high in fat, salt or sugar targeting young people, and it’s particularly worrying to see it being pushed by social media stars who are so influential to children,” said Nika Pajda, head of policy & research at youth campaign group Bite Back.
While the government’s incoming ban on HFSS ads online and pre-watershed on TV was “a great first step”, Bite Back was also lobbying for “regulations to restrict the use of child-appealing features on the packaging of unhealthy products”, Pajda said.
Ali Morpeth, chair of food & nutrition at Children’s Alliance, said Lunchly’s launch was just “another example of how children are exposed to a constant stream of junk food marketing”.
It comes as MrBeast’s confectionery brand Feastables joined Tony’s Open Chain earlier this week, becoming the “first major US chocolate brand” to do so.
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