AN advertisement for a widely sold herbal sleep product has been banned after a watchdog ruled its claims about the health benefits of botanical ingredients did not comply with European regulations.
The national press ad for Bach Rescue Night said: "I can't switch off ... the Rescue Night range helps your mind switch off, so you can enjoy a natural night's sleep."
Rescue Remedy, the 70-year-old brand founded by Edward Bach, suggested that the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) had placed its consideration of health claims for botanicals on hold until they had considered the assessment criteria.
But it said it based the ad on the traditional use of white chestnut Bach Flower Essence and had not made a health claim related to sleep.
Furthermore, they did not consider the claim to 'switch off the mind' would be considered a specific aspect of sleep and the ad contained no references to any sedative action, that it improved the quality of sleep or was a sleep aid.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the use of images in the ad such as a crescent moon and stars on a dark background and the suggestion that 'you can enjoy a natural night's sleep' was likely to give the impression that it was a product that would aid sleep or help consumers fall asleep easily.
It also said there were no 'on hold' claims entered onto the European register for white chestnut or the other product ingredients.
It said: "Because the ad made health claims relating to Bach Rescue Night as a sleep aid and we had not seen evidence that relevant claims for the botanical ingredients contained in the product were 'on hold', we concluded that the ad breached the code."
It ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form, adding: "We told Rescue Remedy not to make health claims for botanical ingredients if they did not comply with the requirements of the regulation."
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