The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned advertisements from Lidl and Iceland, marking the first enforcement of new UK regulations that restrict the promotion of junk food. The rules, in effect since 5 January, prohibit TV adverts for high-fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) products before 9pm and ban paid online advertising for such items at any time.
Lidl Northern Ireland instructed influencer Emma Kearney, known as Baby Emzo on Instagram, to post a video promoting the supermarket's bakery products. The post featured pain suisse, a pastry with vanilla cream and chocolate chips, which a complainant said violated the HFSS rules. Lidl argued the ad was meant to be brand-led, but accepted that it promoted a specific banned product.
Iceland Foods ran digital display and banner adverts on the Daily Mail website, promoting sweets including Swizzels Sweet Treats, Chupa Chups Laces, Choose Disco Stix and Haribo Elf Surprises. The ASA classified these confectionery items as HFSS products under the nutrient profiling model, which cannot be advertised under the new rules.
Iceland stated that it requests nutrient profile information from suppliers but acknowledged gaps in the data provided. The supermarket has since hired a data provider to compile monthly nutritional information for all its products, though the offending adverts had already appeared. The ASA upheld complaints against both supermarkets and ordered them to ensure future digital marketing does not feature HFSS products.
