Marketing and claims service
Leatherhead Food Research is extending its advice and consultancy on the advertising and marketing of food and foodstuffs to help clients assess compliance against advertising codes of practice for non-broadcast and broadcast media.
The advice can cover the acceptability of health and nutrition claims, evidence for substantiation and the conditions of comparative advertising. It can also cover potentially misleading content and code breaches for specific subjects and forms of marketing.
Clients may choose the service for specific claims and artworks, whole advertising campaigns, website checks and consultancy projects, including incorporating services from Leatherhead’s teams in product development, nutrition, sensory and consumer and regulatory. Advice relating to non-foods is also available. The service covers all forms of marketing, including websites, direct marketing, television and radio broadcasts, press and video on demand services.
“Complying with the Regulation on health and nutrition claims poses a real challenge for the food industry,” says Georgia Taylor, Leatherhead Food Research’s marketing and claims advisor.
“There are various grey areas, which include uncertainty about whether certain types of products are covered and also how much flexibility on the wording of authorised claims marketers can exercise. In addition to the Regulation, food marketers also have to comply with the UK Advertising Codes. The Codes supplement legislation but also cover issues not covered by law so assessing advertising compliance can be a timely and challenging task.”
Georgia continues: “Leatherhead’s new service can help clients assess the compliance of health and nutrition claims in advertising and marketing communications against their product formulations and the relevant Regulations. We also offer multidisciplinary projects, incorporating services in our Nutrition and Consumer, Sensory & Market Insight departments in order to help clients substantiate health or nutrition benefits and other marketing claims.”
