Huel
British powdered food product
Huel Ltd. is a British company that makes plant-based meals, snacks, drinks, dietary supplement, and meal replacements. The company's head office is in Tring, Hertfordshire.
Huel's products are made from oats, rice protein, pea protein, sunflower, flaxseed, coconut oil MCTs, and several dietary supplements, such as vitamins and minerals. Most of its products are sweetened with sucralose or stevia. The brand's name is a portmanteau of "human fuel".
01History
In 2014, Huel was founded by Julian Hearn in Aylesbury, England. The original recipe was formulated by the registered nutritionist James Collier, founder and former owner of MuscleTalk, a bodybuilding website, with the intention of providing the recommended daily amounts of nutrients as stipulated by the European Food Safety Authority.
Huel powder, the company's first product, was released in 2015. Its ingredients contain oats, rice protein, pea protein, and micronutrients. The Black Edition came out in 2019; it contains 50% fewer carbohydrates and 33% more protein than the original Huel powder, and it is sweetened with stevia and organic coconut sugar, instead of artificial sweetener. In 2023, Huel added Daily Greens, a powder supplement containing antioxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogens, and plant-based proteins, as well as 91 vitamins and minerals.
In 2016, Huel began shipping to the rest of Europe, and by June 2017, it became available in the United States. In November 2017, the former Life Health Foods UK chief executive James McMaster was appointed as the company's CEO, overseeing its international expansion.
In 2023, Huel reported a 28% increase in revenue year-on-year, reaching £184.5 million for the 12 months to 31 July 2023. In 2024, the company surpassed £200 million in revenue for the financial year ending 31 July 2024, tripling its profit compared to the previous year. Alongside its financial growth, Huel achieved B Corp certification in 2023, meeting strict social sustainability and environmental performance standards. The company also became a partner of Tony's Open Chain, an initiative promoting ethical cocoa sourcing.
In 2025, a study by Consumer Reports found elevated levels of lead and cadmium in Huel products.
In March 2026, it was reported that Huel would be acquired by Danone, in a deal valuing the company at €1 billion. In August, the deal was cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority.
02Banning of advertisements
In February 2023, the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned two Huel advertisements after ruling that claims that the product could help people save money were misleading and that one of the advertisements violated the rules on making health claims about products.
In August 2024, the ASA banned another Huel advertisement by Steven Bartlett due to undisclosed company affiliations.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Huel”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Huel powder black edition shaker.jpg by Ethanmackenzie1, CC BY-SA 4.0
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