Sugar Puffs rapped by advertising watchdog for suggesting that its 'honey goodness' was healthy for children

The Honey Monster has been slapped down by advertising watchdogs for suggesting honey is good for children.

The cereal that the character promotes, Sugar Puffs, has been banned from claiming it contains 'honey goodness' – as honey is just as bad for the body as sugar.

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the boast amounts to a bogus health claim.

Sales of honey are soaring, apparently because of the belief that as a natural product it is better for you. But health experts point out that once honey is consumed it behaves the same way in the body as sugar.

The advert on the cereal's website carried the claims: 'Yummy Honey Goodness For A Monsterfied Breakfast... 20% More Honey'.

This idea that the cereal – which contains 8.6 grams of sugar per 30g serving – was full of goodness was backed up by claims that it was low in fat and salt and a good source of fibre, vitamins and iron.

The ruling came after a complaint by the Children's Food Campaign, which said there was no specific authorised health claim to back up the honey goodness line.

Halo Foods, which owns the Honey Monster brand, said it had increased the amount of honey in the cereal while reducing the amount of sugar as part of a re-launch.

It said the website and the cereal's packaging provided detailed information about the ingredients and the company was 'transparent' about the sugar content of the product.

Halo Foods said it did not intend to make any specific health claims in association with honey and had therefore amended its website to remove any reference to the word goodness.

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As recently as two years ago, the official advice was that fat is bad for you and carbohydrates (such as sugar) are good for you.  The advice now is the exact reverse of that.  It must set heads spinning for anybody who tries to do the right thing  -- including the firm above.