Nursery World - Children's soft drinks advertising makes 'false health claims'

Parents are being misled by soft drinks marketing that falsely claims many drinks that are targeted at children contain fruit and are healthy when they are not, according to research.

The Children’s Food Campaign conducted a survey of soft drink marketing campaigns that appeal to children and their parent, including Fruit Shoot Hydro, Vimto and Ribena , found that all the products make reference to fruit despite some containing just five per cent of fruit juice or none at all.

One of the worst offenders, according to the research, is Fruit Shoot’s Hydro drink, which implies it contains fruit when it does not.

It also wrongly claims that squash and fruit juice are better at hydrating children, when this contradicts public health advice and encourages parents to give squash and juice to their children rather than water.

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