Following a protracted debate over the health benefits of fruit smoothie drinks, it has been confirmed they can make up as much as two of the recommended 5 A DAY.
Health officials have said that one bottle of pulped juice is the equivalent of two portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) consulted the department of health (DoH), following an advert by London-based smoothie giant Innocent for its 250ml non-dairy drinks which first aired in June.
The ad showed a carton in a field, surrounded by a pile of fruit. The voiceover stated "Hello! We're Innocent. Do you sometimes find it difficult to get your 5 A DAY? Well, each one of our cartons contains all this fruit, which means each glassful contains two whole portions. Two of your 5 A DAY.”
The ASA received seven complaints but backed Innocent, stating that Food Standards Agency (FSA) and DoH guidance outlined that under certain circumstances, smoothies could represent two portions and the complaints were not upheld.
The DoH stated that: “Smoothies may count as a maximum of two of your 5 A DAY where they contain both pure 100 per cent fruit juice and all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable.”
Following this, the ASA said: “We therefore did not object to the claim and concluded the ad was not misleading.”
But the ruling does not apply to all smoothies, with Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Vanilla and Honey Yogurt Smoothie, for example, containing a quarter of a woman's daily allowance of saturated fat.
This Water, which is backed by Innocent, had a promotional campaign banned last October after it failed to inform buyers there was up to 42g of sugar in each bottle.
