Huel ad banned for suggesting its products could replace all conventional food

An advert for Huel meal replacement shakes has been banned by the advertising watchdog for encouraging or condoning "irresponsible" dietary practices.

The ad featured Huel brand ambassador Spencer Matthews sharing an anecdote of a person he met who "only eats Huel" and who won a 260km race "by miles".

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that viewers could assume from the ad that replacing all conventional food with Huel was "nutritionally appropriate" and was compatible with elite physical performance.

Huel said Matthews' anecdote was not "a recommendation or instruction" and the purpose of the ad was to challenge the misconception that Huel could replace every meal".

The video, which appeared as a sponsored Instagram post and YouTube pre-roll ad, featured Matthews speaking to Huel founder Julian Hearn in the style of a podcast.

The Instagram post included the caption: "Here's how our founder uses Huel. Spoiler alert it's not for every meal."

In the video Hearn said that he has Huel products for breakfast and lunch during the working week, but has a "traditional meal" when he goes home.

In response, Matthews said that when he was competing in an ultramarathon, he met a man who "only eats Huel".