Plant-based brand Meatless Farm has been ordered to remove two adverts following meat industry complaints.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) called on the company to remove the ads because they allegedly breached rules about health assertions.
This was because they advocated a vegan lifestyle, speaking of the benefits of adopting plant-based eating.
Meatless Farm forced to remove ads
Posted on Facebook, the ads contained claims that plant-based diets improve mental and physical health, and make you “stronger.”
They featured a firefighter and nurse.
Additionally, one included text that read it was “no longer a secret that a plant-based diet has a positive influence on your wellbeing.”
Stirring the complaints was the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which is funded by British farmers.
According to Farming UK, the organization sought to “challenge misinformation,” and encourage a “level playing field” within advertising.
Head of media at AHDB is Phil Maiden. They told the outlet: “Advertising rules are there to ensure fairness and transparency for consumers. In which, AHDB takes an enormous amount of time and effort to ensure compliance.”
Plant-based advertising
A spokesperson for ASA reportedly revealed: “Our rules state that claims which refer to the general benefits of a nutrient or food for overall good health or health-related wellbeing are only acceptable if accompanied by a relevant authorized health claim,” The Grocer reports.
But Meatless Farm maintains it is part of the organization’s “ongoing campaign” against alternative protein.
Moreover, the nurse featured in the ad is a “real nurse” and was sharing her own positive experience on a plant-based diet.
A company spokesperson told PBN: “Our quest at Meatless Farm is to make it easier and tastier for people to reduce their meat consumption for the demonstrable benefits of the planet and their health, so we will continue to share all of the inspiring evidence and information that supports that ambition.”
Additionally, claims made in the ad were based on a recently published scientific study. This was about how plant-based foods positively improve the gut microbiome.
And, while the farming organization celebrated the removal as a win, Meatless Farm claims the ad had in fact finished its run before the complaint was made.
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You might want to put an e at the end of the sub heading?
Nah it works. ? Can’t believe how insecure dead animal producers are at the moment. Imagine if anyone demanded they be honest in their advertising? Kids would be traumatized if they showed the processing of live animals to dead ones in an ad. And no one would buy their food if they had to put in the packet that the facility it was processed in is covered in a floor of sh*t p*ss and blood. That it’s a f**king biohazard ??
Lab slimers have no marketing plan except lies, dishonesty and deception. Good that someone will call them on it
Uhhh but a plant based diet IS good for your gut and digestion. It’s literally the diet recommended by doctors to patients who have gut issues like Chron’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
I do a weekly $60 order on Burger King’s Impossible Whopper and throw them in the freezer. The Impossible Whopper hits the spot all the time so I eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Maybe I’m crazy for saying this but I think better and able to complete homework assignments from my online courses on time. Oh yeah, I recently noticed that my shyt don’t stink anymore! Going to Burger King right now!!!!!
Doesn’t matter if they remove the ads, more and more people are becoming aware that plant based eating is better.
Well the ad run had finished so it doesn’t really matter. Just word the adverts slightly differently next time.