Food & beverage advertising

There are strict rules in place for all food and beverages advertising in Australia.

The AANA Food and Beverages Advertising Code covers a range of areas including:

• truthful and honest claims
• not undermining the importance of a healthy lifestyle
• portrayal or promotion of excess consumption
• health and nutrition claims
• claims relating to characteristics of the product
• advertising to children. 

This Code does not apply to alcohol advertising. 

For more detail and guidance on responsible food and beverage advertising read the AANA Food and Beverages Advertising Code: Practice Note.

Examples of previous decisions

False or misleading claims

The Community Panel has found a breach of the Food and Beverages Code in the following cases:

• Making false or misleading claims about food or beverages.
  • Soul Press – 0243-19
  • Yum Restaurant International – 0350-19
  • Awake Water – 0149-21
     
• Although the advertiser’s intention may not be to mislead, advertising which may be misinterpreted by an average member of the target audience.
  • Yum Restaurants International – 0211-21
  • United Petroleum – 0226-22
     

The Community Panel found the following ads did not breach the Food and Beverages Code:

• Using phrases such as ‘Australia’s favourite’ or ‘blended in Australia’ that does not imply the product as a whole comes from Australia.
  • Primo Foods – 0072-21
     
• Showing a food product in its best light does not necessarily mean that the ad is misleading or deceptive if purchased products don’t look the same.
  • McDonald’s Australia Limited – 0099-22
     
• Plant-based chicken is understood by most members of the community to not be (real) chicken meat.
  • Deliciou – 0176-22
     
• Referring to lactose-free milk as ‘natural’.
  • Lactalis Australia – 0304-20
     
• Promotions and their terms and conditions that are clearly stated.
  • Domino’s Pizza – 0169-21
  • Grill’d – 0170-21
     
• Claims shown in ads for food and beverage products that are truthful and honest.
  • Grill’d – 0276-21, 0295-21
  • Naked Harvest Supplements – 0033-22
  • A2 Milk – 0120-22
  • Made Group – 0148-22
  • Woolworths Group Limited – 0184-22
     
• Indicating that a certain product is ‘free range’ does not imply that all products from that advertiser are free range.
  • Coles – 0378-20
     

Undermining a healthy lifestyle/excess consumption

The Community Panel has found a breach of the Food and Beverages Code in the following case:

• Ads that encourage what would reasonably be considered as excess consumption through the representation of portion sizes disproportionate to the setting.
  • Heart Attacks Diner – 0086-22
     

The Community Panel found the following ads did not breach the Food and Beverages Code:

• Promotion of an unhealthy product in itself does not undermine the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.
  • Frucor Beverages Australia – 0093-19
  • Yum Restaurants International – 0387-19
  • Coca-Cola South Pacific – 0407-19
  • Gelatissimo – 0416-19
  • Schnithouse Hilton – 0035-21
  • Primo Foods – 0052-21
     
• Using phrases similar to ‘try/ buy them all’ or showing individuals consuming an unhealthy product as an ingredient in an overall healthy meal.
  • McDonald’s Australia – 0042-19, 0355-19, 0357-19, 0356-19, 0309-21
  • Primo Foods – 0233-19
  • Yum Restaurants International – 0387-19
  • The Smith’s Snackfood Company – 0328-20
  • Coca-Cola South Pacific – 0314-21
  • Yum Restaurants International – 0025-22
     
• Depicting a person with a large amount of food where there is no indication that the person will consume all the food at once.
  • ALDI Australia – 0267/20 
     

Advertising to children

The Community Panel has found a breach of the Food and Beverages Code in the following cases:

• Advertising occasional food and beverage products where the visuals and themes in the ad are of significant appeal to children.
  • Hungry Jacks – 0258-22
  • Guzman y Gomez – 0292-22
     
• Advertisements which provide occasional food or beverage products to children, or vouchers for such products, as awards or prizes
  • The Cheesecake Shop – 0065-23
     

The Community Panel found the following ads did not breach the Food and Beverages Code:

• Ads that are equally attractive to both children, older teens and adults, but do not target or have a significant audience of under 15 years old.
  • Yum Restaurants International – 0007-22, 0006-22
  • Mondelez Australia – 0135-22