An advert from nutrition shake brand Huel has been banned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) for claims its product could replace every meal.

The advert, shown on Instagram and YouTube, featured Huel brand ambassador Spencer Matthews sharing an anecdote about a person he met who eats “only Huel everyday” with founder Julian Hearn. Matthews went on to say that the man won a 260km race through the Amazon rainforest “by miles”.

The ASA ruled that despite Matthews expressing surprise that the man was able to win, the advert could lead viewers to reasonably assume that replacing all conventional food with Huel was “nutritionally appropriate” and compatible with “exceptional sporting performance”.

Huel said that the aim of the advert was instead to “correct any misconception” that its product was intended to be used as a replacement for all food and discourage customers who currently do so. In the advert, Hearn “unambiguously” positioned Huel as part of a balanced diet for occasions when regular food is impractical, it added.

The regulator acknowledged that Hearn advocated for ideally consuming “nutritionally complete whole food” for every meal and described his own consumption of his product as limited to breakfast and lunch during the working week.

However, it said, the runner anecdote directly contradicted those concerns and was ultimately “not cautionary”. Additionally, it noted Hearn’s failure to challenge the suggestion that exclusively consuming Huel was appropriate.

Huel’s products provide up to 400 calories per serving, the ASA said, meaning that an individual solely living on Huel would not be able to replace meals one for one with the product. In addition, a diet consisting only of Huel would not provide the same variety of nutrients and “other benefits” associated with a varied diet of whole foods.

The ASA ruled that the advert must not appear again in its current form and has warned Huel to ensure it is not encouraging or condoning exclusive consumption of Huel in place of conventional food.

This is not the first time Huel has faced censure from the ASA. In 2024, three of its adverts were banned within two months: the first two for failing to disclose their presenter’s commercial interest in the company and the third for misleading health claims.

Huel, founded by British entrepreneur Julian Hearn in 2014, is currently in the process of being acquired by French food and beverage giant Danone for €1 billion.

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