Paleo advocate Pete Evans dumped as Sumo Salad ambassador

Paleo diet advocate Pete Evans has been dropped as the ambassador for food chain Sumo Salad.

But the franchise says its decision not to renew its contract with the My Kitchen Rules judge after a two-year partnership was not influenced by the storm of criticism Evans has faced for co-authoring a paleo cookbook for babies.

"We have decided not to renew his contract," Petra Orrenius, head of marketing at Sumo Salad, told The Australian Women's Weekly.

"We have been very happy with the collaboration, but we just decided to take our marketing in a new direction."

Ms Orrenius said Evans' contract with the food chain was due to expire in early 2015.

"We made the decision a really long time ago that we wouldn't renew the contract, because he's been with us for so long," she told News Corp.

"We wish him all the best."

The publication of Evans' book, Bubba Yum Yum: The Paleo Way for New Mums, Babies and Toddlers, was put on hold by Pan MacMillan after science and health agencies expressed grave concerns about the book's DIY baby milk formula, based on liver and bone broth.

"In my view, there's a very real possibility that a baby may die if this book goes ahead," the president of the Public Health Association of Australia, Professor Heather Yeatman, said.

The Dietitians Association of Australia also warned that the baby formula could "kill or permanently harm" infants due to its high salt and Vitamin A content.

However, Evans and his co-authors, baby recipe blogger Charlotte Carr and naturopath Helen Padarin, have vowed to forge ahead with the digital publication of the baby recipe book independently.

Evans has recently been under fire for his controversial nutrition advice, as well as his view that fluoride should not be added to tap water.

He has also been involved in a dispute with the Heart Foundation and the Dietitians Association of Australia over the merits of the paleo diet. His views have reportedly put his role as a My Kitchen Rules judge in jeopardy.

The controversial paleo diet is designed to emulate what humans are thought to have eaten during the Paleolithic era. It promotes poultry, fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables and meat, and avoids legumes, grains and dairy products.

Evans has shrugged off the criticism, saying on Facebook last month: "I am thrilled to announce they 'Going Paleo' and 'Family Food' are both in our national top 10 book charts for fiction and non-fiction titles. This is absolutely amazing and I am truly humbled by your support. This proves that we are truly making a change together for a healthier Australia and the coming generations."