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The advertising regulator has banned a promotional video for Huel meal replacement shakes, citing concerns that it promoted “irresponsible” dietary habits. The advertisement featured Spencer Matthews, a Huel brand ambassador, who shared a story about meeting someone who consumed only Huel and subsequently won a 260km race by a significant margin.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) explained that the advert could give viewers the impression that replacing all traditional food with Huel was both nutritionally suitable and compatible with high-level physical activity. Huel maintained that Matthews’ story was not intended as a recommendation or instruction and that the ad aimed to counter the misconception that Huel could substitute every meal.
The video was released as a sponsored post on Instagram and as a YouTube pre-roll ad. It portrayed Matthews in conversation with Huel’s founder, Julian Hearn, in a podcast-style format. The Instagram caption clarified, “Here’s how our founder uses Huel. Spoiler alert it’s not for every meal.” In the footage, Hearn described his own routine of consuming Huel for breakfast and lunch on workdays but having a traditional meal afterwards. Matthews then recounted meeting an ultramarathon competitor who reportedly ate only Huel and won the race by a large margin, initially expressing scepticism about the claim.
Hearn responded by emphasizing the ideal of consuming nutritionally complete whole foods, acknowledging that many people either do not or cannot maintain such a diet, and positioning Huel as a convenient alternative to fill that gap. Founded in 2015 in Hertfordshire by Hearn, Huel is currently in the process of being acquired by the French conglomerate Danone. The market for complete nutrition products, designed for busy, health-conscious consumers, is estimated to be worth around $5.9 billion.
The ASA received four complaints about the advert, which questioned its responsibility and the validity of health claims made. While the ruling noted the ad did not explicitly advise consumers to replace all conventional foods with Huel, it concluded that the anecdote could be interpreted as endorsing that practice. The ASA stated that by portraying exclusive consumption of Huel in this way, the advert suggested such a diet was nutritionally sound and did not hinder achieving high levels of endurance and physical performance.
Furthermore, the ASA upheld concerns about misleading health claims, stating that Matthews’ story implied a link between consuming Huel and sustaining exceptional athletic endurance. Huel responded by reiterating that the advert clearly positioned Huel as part of a balanced diet where whole food preparation was not feasible. The company pointed out Matthews’ expressed disbelief over the idea of someone eating only Huel and insisted that the anecdote was unusual rather than representative or instructional. They also highlighted that neither speaker encouraged adopting a diet completely reliant on Huel.
This is not Huel’s first encounter with regulatory issues regarding claims around their products serving as full food replacements. Additionally, some experts have raised doubts about the efficacy of replacing meals entirely with nutritionally dense beverages. Huel told BBC News that it complied with the ASA’s decision and stressed that they do not market Huel as a total diet substitute nor claim it enhances athletic performance
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