Advertising literacy encompasses the capacity to discern the intent, persuasive strategies, and inherent biases embedded within marketing communications. In the context of escalating rates of diet-related chronic diseases, consumers' ability to critically evaluate nutrition and food-related claims – particularly those that are misleading or demonstrably false – has emerged as a pressing public health concern. False claims are statements that are demonstrably untrue, while misleading claims, though partially accurate, create a distorted impression or understanding about a product’s nutritional value or health benefits. Although regulatory agencies possess mechanisms to address false claims, misleading claims frequently elude enforcement due to their inherent ambiguity and subtlety. As a result, they continue to significantly influence consumer behaviour and contribute to widespread misconceptions regarding food healthfulness. These challenges are further magnified by the proliferation of food misinformation online and the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods. This paper proposes an integrated, four-component framework aimed at empowering consumer capacity to critically engage with food advertising.

The framework encompasses:
(1) comprehension of nutrition information,
(2) critical appraisal of marketing claims,
(3) recognition of the implications of food processing, and
(4) identification of deceptive advertising strategies.

Each component serves a distinct yet interrelated function in promoting advertising literacy and enhancing resilience against the persuasive effects of misleading food marketing. First, comprehension of nutritional information allows individuals to contextualize marketing messages within evidence-based dietary knowledge. For example, the promotion of sugary breakfast cereals as "fortified with vitamins and minerals" illustrates how truthful claims may distract from less desirable attributes, such as high sugar content. Second, critical evaluation of claims enables differentiation between scientifically substantiated messages and marketing rhetoric. Yogurt products that claim to "help support immune health" often rely on minimal probiotic content, exemplifying strategic ambiguity. Third, awareness of food processing highlights how marketing language can obscure nutritional realities. Phrases such as "baked not fried" may imply healthfulness while concealing the ultra-processed nature of the product. Fourth, identifying deceptive advertising strategies – such as appeals to nature, as in "natural energy from honey" used to market sugary beverages – guards against cognitive biases and rhetorical manipulation. Drawing upon a marketing campaign case study, we show how this framework addresses not only overtly false statements but also the more pervasive and insidious influence of misleading claims, which frequently escape regulatory enforcement. The paper concludes suggesting that, by enhancing consumers’ capacity to recognize and resist deceptive marketing, the framework offers a pathway toward more informed dietary behaviours in a complex and saturated food media environment.

Keywords: Media and nutritional education, nutrition advertising, advertising literacy, misleading nutrition & food narratives, empowering consumers’ informed decisions.