Chuckling Goat gut 'immunity boosting' health advert banned

The Chuckling Goat Ltd, based in Ceredigion, has been told its adverts "must not appear again in the same form"

A company's health product advert which claimed to have "immunity-boosting" benefits to fight viruses has been banned by the advertising watchdog.

The Chuckling Goat Ltd, in Llandysul, Ceredigion, broke advertising rules by implying its "gut health" products prevented, treated or cured disease.

Adverts on buses in Yorkshire and Reading in April promoted its website which had pages on tackling flu and viruses with links to its products.

The firm has now removed the pages.

It said its advertising campaign had also ended but it "did not intentionally violate any standards".

The poster displayed on the side of bus stated: "What's your best defence against any virus? Boost your immune system" and to the side text read: "Quick and free - live gut health advice".

In a ruling, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said: "We considered that because of the context in which these claims appeared, namely on the 'viruses' and 'flu' web pages, alongside featured food products, consumers would understand that those products listed could help to fight against viruses and the flu by boosting immunity and improving gut health.

"We concluded that the claims implied that their food products prevented, treated or cured human disease," which it said was prohibited under the code.

The ASA said it had received three complaints about the advert and it had "fast-tracked" the case as part of its focus on "prioritising and tackling ads that exploit health-related anxieties during the crisis".