Horlicks and Maggi Noodles Ads Banned in UK : Facts

Story:

Horlicks and Maggi Noodles ads banned in UK.

Analysis:

According to a story that appears online now and then, Horlicks and Maggi Noodles advertisements are banned in United Kingdom (UK). The claims are a mixture of hoax and facts, as discussed below.

As such all Horlicks and Maggie noodles advertisements are not banned in UK. An advertisement of Horlicks claiming it makes children “taller, stronger and sharper” was banned after it was mistakenly screened on British television. Another advert for a brand of Nestle noodles that claimed to strengthen muscles and bones was also banned. The Advertising Standards Authority of UK (ASA) banned these two commercials back in 2008 as they were misleading and broke the UK’s strict industry code.

The two commercials mentioned above were actually meant to air in Bangladesh, but appeared in Britain on NTV as part of a rebroadcast deal. GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Horlicks, explained that the version of their product sold in Bangladesh was ‘Fortified’ and its health claims were supported by clinical studies. Nestle made a similar argument about its Maggi noodles. However, the two products sold in the UK were not fortified. To this, GSK said there was no intention of advertising the product there. The ASA expressed its concerns over Bangladeshi TV station broadcasting the adverts in the UK without the knowledge or consent of the manufacturers.

An ASA spokesman said that the health and nutritional claims made by GSK and Nestle may be allowed in other parts of the world, but they breach the strict rules in the UK and that they have seen no evidence to substantiate their claims. These being the facts, as a general advice, consumers must be careful from misleading or harmful advertising to make sure they choose the right and healthy food products.