The supermarket giant has been accused of “trading on the back” of the Derbyshire-based company’s reputation by using the ‘Slimming World’, ‘Extra Easy’ and ‘Free’ trade marks on its Slimzone frozen ready meals.
The Slimzone range was launched in January after Asda said it had identified a gap in the market to make it easier for customers “who want to keep themselves on track with a controlled weight loss programme”.
Asda is selling the 13-strong range – which includes the likes of Chicken Jalfrezi, Cottage Pie, and Turkey Bolognaise – for £2.50 each. Slimming World’s brand is currently retailing in Iceland for £3.
Nutrition database
None of the Slimzone range has been added to Slimming World’s nutrition database, which advises its members which foods can be freely enjoyed, and which should be given a “Syn” value. Under Slimming World’s plan, dieters can have between five to 15 Syns a day.
Asda has previously acknowledged that the range hadn’t been endorsed or tested by Slimming World.
A statement from Slimming World said: “After careful consideration and on the advice of our legal team, Slimming World has taken action to ask Asda to remove our trade marks from their range of Slimzone meals.
“We believe that Asda are unlawfully using our much loved and much respected name and trade marks on their meals (Slimming World, Extra Easy and Free), and are trading on the back of our brand’s reputation, which we’ve built and nurtured over 47 years.”
Trust and confidence
Slimming World claimed that it had worked hard over the years to earn the trust and confidence of its consultants, its members and the public – and maintaining that trust and confidence was at the heart of its decision.
The statement added: “The case is now in the hands of a judge and we won’t be able to comment further on the meals themselves until we know the outcome of the case.
“In the meantime, our primary focus in our groups remains unchanged: to deliver our very best service to members.”
An Asda spokeswoman said: “Our customers have told us that saving money and leading a healthy lifestyle is a priority and that is why we developed our Slimzone range for them.
“We’re confident in Slimzone and our customers seem to love it too. We’ve shared a full list of ingredients for the Slimzone meals to help our customers make up their own minds.”