ASA bans ‘misleading’ Tesco plant-based burger ads

A Tesco advert for a plant-based burger has been banned for making false claims about the product’s environmental benefits.

The advert suggested that switching from a meat burger to Tesco’s Plant Chef product would positively affect the environment. But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said Tesco’s claims could not be substantiated and so broke the rules.

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The ASA criticised Tesco for the advert, which included the phrase “a little swap can make a difference to the planet”.

The advert went on to suggest the public should do its bit for the environment by choosing the plant alternative to meat.

One advert stated: “As a nation, if we swapped beef for a plant-based alternative just one out of five times, the amount of CO2 emissions we could save would be the equivalent to driving 27bn fewer miles in a car.”

Complaints

The adverts, which aired on TV, radio and social media and appeared in newspapers last autumn, quickly attracted more than 170 complaints.

The ASA upheld the complaints on the basis that the adverts broke rules on environmental claims, which must encompass the full production cycle of a product.

It pointed out that products made with ingredients sourced globally and transported long distances could have a higher carbon footprint than meat.

“It would not necessarily always be the case that specific plant-based products would always be guaranteed to have a lower carbon or environmental impact than specific meat-based products,” the ASA said.

In conclusion, the ASA said a product’s environmental benefit could not be assumed in the absence of robust evidence and was therefore likely to be misleading. The advert must not be shown again, the ASA ruled. 

Tesco said it was disappointed by the outcome.

In its defence, the retailer said it had worked with a charity and a UK university to provide evidence that a switch to plant-based products could be better for the planet.

Further information

Read the full ruling on the ASA website.