The Amsterdam breakfast cereal maker was challenged by the Flemish multinational Lotus Bakeries. That company did not agree with the Holie’s campaign, where instead of a Nutri score, it gave a sugar score to products in breakfast cereal. Products with little sugar get an A, with a little more a B or with a lot of sugar a C. The muesli and strips of Holie’s all score an A, those from Lotus, Pepsico (Quaker) and Ferrero (Kelloggs) are worse out.
‘Enough clear’
According to Lotus, also the owner of the Trek and Nākd brands, the information was misleading and incorrect, and the advertisement was therefore unauthorized. But the judge in Amsterdam does not agree with that. He ruled that it is sufficiently clear to the consumer that it is the sugar content in the product and that it is not a food or health claim.
Flemish cookie giant Lotus complies with Dutch start-up holie’s: ‘Take on multinational with more than 1 billion turnover’
“We are happy that the judge has fully assured us: we can continue to show that products with beautiful claims often contain a lot of sugar“,” Says Merick Schoute, co-CEO van Holie’s. He sees it as a victory. “For us, but especially for the consumer.” According to the founder of the company, politics should also move against misleading claims in fight against overweight and type 2 diabetes, therefore it starts with a petition.