Tea advertising claim under attack

The Advertising Standards Authority has criticised a UK Tea Council poster which recommended drinking four cups a day as part of a healthy diet, saying that the advertising campaign which highlighted the health benefits of tea was guilty of exaggeration. The ASA said there was no evidence to "firmly substantiate" the claims of the Tea Council that tea was rich in beneficial antioxidants also found in fruit and vegetables.

An independent expert who advised the ASA said evidence about the health benefits of drinking tea was "promising but inconclusive". He said that while there was some scientific evidence that tea may protect against cancer and heart disease, the findings had yet to be confirmed in tests on humans.

However, as around 165 million cups of tea are drunk in the UK every day (which equates to more than 62 billion cups a year) according to a 2006 study by the International Tea Committee, it may take more than the ASA's slap on the wrist to the Tea Council to change the drinking habits of Infusion members.