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| 'Healthy' yogurt TV advert banned | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| A TV advert which asserted that Actimel yogurt supported children's natural defences against disease has been banned by the advertising watchdog. | |
| The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that claims that it could help protect school-age youngsters against illness were not supported by evidence. | The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that claims that it could help protect school-age youngsters against illness were not supported by evidence. |
| The advert stated that Actimel was "scientifically-proven to help support your kids' defences". | The advert stated that Actimel was "scientifically-proven to help support your kids' defences". |
| Manufacturer Danone said it was "very disappointed" by the ruling. | Manufacturer Danone said it was "very disappointed" by the ruling. |
| Broke rules | Broke rules |
| The advert showed a bottle of Actimel jumping over a skipping rope over a soundtrack of cheering children. | The advert showed a bottle of Actimel jumping over a skipping rope over a soundtrack of cheering children. |
| A voice-over said "kids love Actimel and it's good for them too" before the words "scientifically proven" were stamped on the screen. | A voice-over said "kids love Actimel and it's good for them too" before the words "scientifically proven" were stamped on the screen. |
| But the ASA rejected studies submitted by Danone to back up their assertions. | But the ASA rejected studies submitted by Danone to back up their assertions. |
| The company said eight studies were carried out on children up to the age of 16, two of which were carried out on hospitalised children in India who suffered acute diarrhoea or were taking gastritis-related medication. | The company said eight studies were carried out on children up to the age of 16, two of which were carried out on hospitalised children in India who suffered acute diarrhoea or were taking gastritis-related medication. |
| The ASA ruled that these two studies could not be applied to healthy youngsters. | The ASA ruled that these two studies could not be applied to healthy youngsters. |
| Two other trials were dismissed as the mean age in each of the sets of children under examination - six months and 15.5 months - were too young to apply to school-age children. | Two other trials were dismissed as the mean age in each of the sets of children under examination - six months and 15.5 months - were too young to apply to school-age children. |
| The watchdog also decided that no health benefits could be established in relation to asthmatic children, and a drop in the number of children with allergic rhinitis and diarrhoea was too small compared to the control group to prove Actimel was the cause. | The watchdog also decided that no health benefits could be established in relation to asthmatic children, and a drop in the number of children with allergic rhinitis and diarrhoea was too small compared to the control group to prove Actimel was the cause. |
| In addition, it said that studies on children in day cay centres in the US and Russia found too small a reduction in common infectious diseases when drinking Actimel compared to not doing so. | In addition, it said that studies on children in day cay centres in the US and Russia found too small a reduction in common infectious diseases when drinking Actimel compared to not doing so. |
| In the end, the ASA ruled that the advert was misleading and broke rules in relation to evidence and accuracy in advertising. | In the end, the ASA ruled that the advert was misleading and broke rules in relation to evidence and accuracy in advertising. |
| A spokesman for Danone said its scientific claims were "sound and based on a large body of evidence". | A spokesman for Danone said its scientific claims were "sound and based on a large body of evidence". |
| The spokesman added: "These studies are designed and approved by a board of internationally recognised experts with extensive, directly relevant experience in human clinical trials, effects of probiotics in the gut, paediatrics and immunology." | The spokesman added: "These studies are designed and approved by a board of internationally recognised experts with extensive, directly relevant experience in human clinical trials, effects of probiotics in the gut, paediatrics and immunology." |