Gluten free Weet-Bix ad pulled over misleading health claims

The ad was called out for claiming the product is a fix for bloating. Photo / Sanitarium

Offering gluten free products is becoming increasingly common as more people, suffering from coeliac disease or not, look for alternative diet options.

But a Sanitarium ad promoting gluten free Weet-Bix has been pulled by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) following a doctor's complaints over its "unsubstantiated and misleading" health claims.

The commercial begins with a presenter "talking to Kiwis about eating a better brekkie" and offering "great news" for the growing number of people going gluten free.

Turning to a woman, he asks why she's eating less gluten. She tells him she "felt quite bloated" but since cutting down on gluten feels "a lot lighter" and has "more energy".

The ad wraps with the presenter handing her a box of gluten free Weet-Bix and telling her: "Now you can go back to Weet-Bix for breakfast."

The complainant, a medical doctor, called the ad "extremely irresponsible" for claiming gluten free Weet-Bix will alleviate bloating, which they note is "an extremely common complaint due to a plethora of reasons".

They highlight that the ad fails to acknowledge the breakfast cereal as a product intended for a prescribed gluten-free diet while purporting it as a fix for anyone experiencing bloating.

"At no point does the dialogue state that this sort of product is really meant for inclusion in a gluten-free diet, as prescribed for those who are diagnosed with an auto immune disease e.g. coeliac disease (which requires antibody testing) and only affects a tiny portion of society.

They go on to state: "The implication is that any member of the public who might feel bloated, an extremely common complaint which can be due to a plethora of reasons, will benefit from this product, making them feel lighter and more energised."

The ASA ruled under the Code for Advertising Food the ad was in breach of two principles which include failing to uphold a "sense of high standard of social responsibility to consumers" in making a "generalised misleading health claim" and exploiting a "lack of consumer knowledge".

Sanitarium has responded by removing the ad and stating it will not be run again.