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How to check a supplement ad against UK rules

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Short answer. List every claim in the ad, the images or video and the landing page. Check each health claim against the authorised wording in the Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register, and check that your product meets that claim's conditions of use. Remove any claim that a product prevents, treats or cures a disease, and make sure general claims like "superfood" sit next to an authorised claim. Then check the ad platform's own policy.

Step by step

  1. Collect everything the customer will see. The ad copy, the text in every image, anything said in a video, and the landing page the ad links to. The CAP Code applies to all of it, including your own website.
  2. Sort the claims. A nutrition claim says what the product contains ("high in vitamin C"). A health claim says what it does for the body ("supports your immune system"). A general claim speaks of overall health ("superfood", "full of goodness"). A disease claim says it prevents, treats or cures an illness.
  3. Remove disease claims. Food and supplement ads must not claim to prevent, treat or cure human disease (CAP rule 15.6.2). Disease risk reduction claims are only allowed if they are authorised on the register.
  4. Match each health claim to the register. Only claims on the applicable register may be used, or claims with the same meaning to consumers (rule 15.1.1). Keep the authorised wording close; don't exaggerate it.
  5. Check the conditions of use. Each authorised claim comes with conditions, usually a minimum amount of the nutrient per daily dose. You need evidence that your product meets them (rule 15.1).
  6. Pair general claims with a specific one. A general health claim is only acceptable when an authorised specific claim sits next to or immediately after it, on the same page (rule 15.2).
  7. Check the platform. Meta, TikTok, Google and Snapchat have their own health and supplement policies, and can reject an ad that the CAP Code would allow.
  8. Keep your evidence. Save the register entry and your product's composition for every claim, in case the ASA asks.

Advertising in Northern Ireland? The EU register still applies there, so check both.

Ways to get a second opinion

Option Cost Time Good to know
CAP bespoke Copy Advice Free; faster for a fee (£125 for 48 hours, £250 for 24 hours, £500 for 4 hours, excl. VAT) 3–5 working days Advice from the ASA's sister body; not binding on the ASA
A regulatory consultant Varies Varies Best for new ingredients, novel foods or a full label review
ClaimBob £19 one-off, or from £49 a month Usually a few minutes Checks the ad, video and landing page and shows the rule behind each finding

Sources

Not legal advice. Last updated: 2 November 2026.