Pointless ingredients

Candy Kittens, the confectionary brand owned by Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing, has had a slap on the wrist from the advertising watchdog for implying all of its products were halal certified.

The sweet-maker, which sells treats online as well as in stores around the UK including Tesco, Waitrose and Selfridges, provoked three complaints from the public to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after the FAQ page on its site claimed that the brand was halal friendly.

Text underneath explained why the company used Halal, but complainants noted that some sweets on the site contained cochineal - an ingredient made from extracts of crushed insect, which is forbidden by Islamic law.

They added that the advertiser was not a member of an official halal certification authority, and as such challenged whether the claims made on the FAQ page were misleading.

While Candy Kittens argued that it had since updated its site to reflect that its products were not halal friendly after being made aware of the issue, the ASA upheld the complaints.

The regulator said the initial assertion on the Candy Kittens' site that the sweets were suitable for consumers who followed a halal-only diet, was misleading to consumers on the basis that the sweets contained cochineal - because no documentary evidence suggested otherwise.

"We told Candy Kittens not to make claims that stated or suggested that its products were suitable for a halal-only diet and were halal certified, unless that was the case and could be supported with documentary evidence," said the ASA.