Gordon Ramsay’s gin has come under fire for making nutrition claims that break advertising regulations.
The gin, produced by Scottish distillery Eden Mill, was launched in partnership with the celebrity chef last year.
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Adverts posted on Eden Mill’s Facebook and Instagram pages extolled the virtues of honeyberries, the gin’s main botanical, claiming they have “more potassium than bananas, more vitamin C than oranges”.
It also said the berries “retain the micro-nutrients that come from Scotland’s wonderful terroir”.
But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) challenged the phrases, saying they “were nutrition claims that were not permitted for alcoholic drinks”.
Under the UK advertising code, the only nutrition claims permitted in relation to alcoholic drinks are “low alcohol”, “reduced alcohol” and “reduced energy”.
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By GlobalDataEden Mill said it had been “excited by the opportunity” to work with Ramsay and had “neglected to conduct their usual due diligence” with the advertising campaign.
The advert, which has since been removed, read: “Honeyberries form the botanical foundations of Ramsay’s Gin.
“Our honeyberries are grown in fields a few miles away from the distillery in Cupar. Here, the farmer follows a philosophy of natural growth meaning the honeyberries retain the rich flavours and micro-nutrients that come from Scotland’s wonderful terroir.
“With more antioxidants than blueberries, more potassium than bananas, more vitamin C than oranges and a flavour like a mixture of blueberry, plum and grape, these might be the tastiest honeyberries in the world!”
It comes as complaints about calorie claims in a series of adverts for beer giant Tennent’s have been upheld.
Three Facebook adverts, released between February and June 2022, claimed Tennent’s Light was particularly low in calories.
In June, the brand said: “Fancy a cold one? This wee cracker is just 66 calories a bottle.”
In May it said: “THIS is Scotland’s lowest calorie lager [tick symbol] 60 calories a bottle [tick symbol] Big taste.”
Tennent Caledonian Breweries UK Ltd, owned by C&C Group, has taken the adverts down and said it would remove the word “just” and references to “lowest calorie” or similar wording when talking about calorie content in future adverts.
