Influencer ad for meal-replacement shakes pulled over claim it could replace all food

The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a promotional video for Huel meal-replacement products, ruling that it encouraged or condoned "irresponsible" dietary practices by suggesting the brand's shakes could substitute for virtually everything a person eats.

The decision follows four complaints about an advert starring Huel brand ambassador Spencer Matthews, who interviewed the company's founder, Julian Hearn, in a podcast-style conversation. The video was published as a sponsored Instagram post and as a YouTube pre-roll advert.

At the centre of the complaint is an anecdote Matthews recounted from his own experience competing in an ultramarathon. He described meeting a competitor who, he said, ate nothing but Huel — and then winning a 260km race decisively, leaving the rest of the field far behind. Matthews said he had been deeply doubtful that such a competitor could hold up over that distance before learning of the result.

The ASA said the ad risked leading viewers to believe that replacing all conventional food with Huel was nutritionally appropriate and entirely compatible with elite-level physical performance. Two of the four complainants went further, arguing that the claims made in the video breached the regulator's rules on health claims in advertising.

In its ruling, the watchdog acknowledged that the video did not explicitly tell viewers they should replace every meal with Huel. However, it said the way the story was framed meant the behaviour could reasonably be read as "an acceptable dietary practice" rather than an eccentric outlier.

"By presenting exclusive consumption of Huel in that context, the ads suggested that the complete replacement of conventional food with Huel was nutritionally appropriate and presented no barrier to achieving a high level of physical performance," the ASA wrote.

The regulator also upheld the complaint about the health claims. It said Matthews' story about the ultrarunning champion implied "a beneficial relationship between consuming Huel and the ability to sustain exceptionally high levels of physical and endurance performance" — a claim not supported by the content of the advert itself.

Hearn's own remarks in the film appeared to cut against the racer's story. He explained that he uses Huel for breakfast and lunch during the working week but eats a traditional meal when he gets home, adding that in an ideal world people should be eating nutritionally complete whole food. Hearn said most consumers either cannot manage that or lack the time to do it, and that is the gap Huel is designed to fill.

The Instagram post carrying the video appeared to reinforce that message in its caption, which described how the founder uses Huel while warning, as a "spoiler", that it is not intended for every meal.

Responding to the complaints, Huel said the advert positioned the brand as part of a balanced diet for occasions when preparing whole food was not practicable. The company pointed to Matthews' reaction in the video, describing his response to the idea of a person living on Huel alone as one of "extreme scepticism and disbelief".

It added that the anecdote was told as a remarkable and unexpected occurrence, not as a typical result or as advice for viewers to follow, and that neither speaker at any point suggested consumers should adopt a diet consisting solely of Huel products.

After the ruling, Huel said it had complied with the ASA's decision. A spokesperson told BBC News: "We do not position Huel as a complete diet replacement or claim that it improves athletic performance."

The company is no stranger to the regulator. This is not the first time Huel has been challenged by the ASA over how its products are presented as substitutes for everyday meals, and health experts have previously questioned how effective meal replacement drinks really are compared with eating a full, varied diet.

Huel was founded by Hearn in 2015 and is based in Hertfordshire. It is currently being acquired by French food and drink giant Danone in a deal valued at around €1bn, meaning the brand's marketing will soon sit under the ownership of one of the world's largest food companies — and come under a larger corporate compliance operation.

The ruling lands in a growing market. Products marketed as "complete nutrition", aimed largely at time-poor but health-conscious consumers, are thought to be worth about $5.9bn (£4.4bn) globally, with Huel among the best-known names in the UK.

Beyond this case, the decision is likely to be felt by brands using influencers to promote their products. Advertisers who hand the microphone to a friendly, relatable presenter risk blurring the line between personal anecdote and implied recommendation — a line that regulators increasingly expect them to police themselves.

For consumers, the practical takeaway from the ASA is narrower than a blanket ban on the brand: the watchdog did not prohibit Huel as a snack or meal option, but it did reject the implication that a 100 per cent Huel diet is a healthy, sustainable route to outstanding athletic performance. With Danone waiting in the wings, Huel now has an incentive to make that distinction louder than ever.