A business which made unauthorised claims about the health benefits of coffee it sold has been ordered to pay a penalty of more than £5,000 following a prosecution by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards.
LDN Noots Ltd, trading as London Nootropics, was found to have breached the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulations 2007 and the Novel Foods Regulations 2018 with some of the ‘adaptogenic’ coffee blends it sells online.
Test purchases by West Sussex Trading Standards found the company’s Zen Adaptogenic Coffee, Flow Adaptogenic Coffee and Mojo Adaptogenic Coffee included unauthorised health claims on product packaging. The products also contained CBD despite not being registered with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) – a legal requirement under the Novel Foods Regulations.
In a hearing at Crawley Magistrates Court on 7 March, the company’s directors entered guilty pleas, and LDN Noots Ltd was ordered to pay a total penalty of £5,134.27.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue at West Sussex Council, said: “This prosecution sends a clear message that we will not tolerate businesses misleading consumers with unauthorised health claims or selling products that fail to meet legal standards.
“West Sussex Trading Standards remains committed to protecting the public and ensuring businesses operate responsibly. Companies that disregard food regulations risk significant financial penalties and damage to their reputation.”
West Sussex Council added: “This case highlights the importance of compliance with food safety and labelling regulations. Misleading health claims can give consumers false confidence in a product’s benefits, potentially leading them to make uninformed decisions about their health. Ensuring accurate, evidence-based labelling helps protect public health and maintains trust in the food industry.”
