Heinz ad is canned for second time

An advert for Heinz baked beans has been banned for a second time after comparing the nutritional value of the product to a protein shake.

The television ad, seen in February, showed a man arriving home to his family – a woman and a girl – and being asked if he was hungry, to which he answered as he took a drink out of the fridge: “Yeah, I’m on a new regime. Dean calls the ‘three Ps’ ... This is the last P: Protein, with high fibre and minimal fat.”

The woman took some baked beans from the microwave and said: “Right. We’re just having some beans,” before on-screen text stated: “High in protein. High in Fibre. Low in Fat,” and “Good for you, without going on about it.”

Heinz Foods UK said the ad made the authorised claim that a portion of Heinz Beanz was high in protein, high in fibre and low in fat, adding that it had been edited following a previous Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling and did not make a comparative nutrition claim. Advertising regulations do not allow claims that one food has “as much” of a nutrient or nutrients as another food.

Upholding the complaint, the ASA said viewers would interpret the ad to mean that the beans had as much protein, fibre and fat as the protein shake.

It said: “We considered consumers would therefore interpret the ad as presenting Heinz Beanz as a tastier and more appetising, but nutritionally equivalent, alternative to consuming a protein shake.”

It ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form.

A Heinz spokesman said: “Although we are disappointed with the ASA decision we have no plans to run this particular

TV ad again.”