Concerned consumers will read the nutritional information on the back of food packaging and not take claims on the front at face value‚ says the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)."If the consumer has a particular reason for not eating sugar‚ they will consult the ingredient list‚" it said in a recent ruling.The ASA dismissed a complaint about the packaging wording of Woolworths’ milk chocolate hearts sold for Valentine’s Day. The complainant‚ Sally Baikie‚ said a sticker on the side that said "No sugar added — with maltitol"‚ was misleading and a potential health risk."Added" was in a smaller font than the preceding words.The nutritional information on the back said there was 7.8g of sugar for every 100g. Woolworths said these chocolates were not sold anymore and were only part of a Valentine’s Day promotion. Woolworths is not an ASA member‚ but voluntarily responded to Baikie’s complaint in the "spirit of responsible advertising".Woolworths said it will not amend the "No sugar ...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.