Ribena caught out again

File photo / NZ Herald

Drinks maker Ribena has again been caught out, this time in the UK, for making misleading claims in advertising.

Online ads for the drink were found to make misleading claims about the health benefits of vitamin A and C in the product.

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found the ads altered the meaning of four authorised health claims about the vitamins.

Maker GlaxoSmithKline said it reworded the claims to make them more understandable and consumer-friendly.

The claims were vitamin A "helps keep your vision in tip-top condition", and "is important for immunity", and that vitamin C "helps immunity" and "it's an antioxidant".

The ASA said the claims were exaggerated and did not convey the full meaning of the authorised health claims to consumers, and must not appear again.

In 2007, GlaxoSmithKline was fined more than $200,000 in New Zealand for 15 breaches of the Fair Trading Act in relation to misleading advertisements which overstated the drink's vitamin C content.

The charges came about after two Pakuranga College students tested the Vitamin C levels and found it far lower than advertisements had claimed.

The Ribena brand was sold to Suntory Beverage and Food last year, after the UK online advertisements were published.