Egg advert banned for encouraging consumers to eat an egg a day
Could the ban be good news for the egg industry? Read deputy news editor Isabel Davies’ take on the situation and comment yourself on the Food For Thought blog (click on the comment link at the bottom of the post to add your message).
The egg industry has been shocked to learn it will not be allowed to show the iconic Go To Work On An Egg ads, which featured Tony Hancock, on TV to mark 50 years of the British Lion mark.
Eggs are not a food restricted under the new rules on advertising but, despite this, the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre (BACC) has said the ads cannot be repeated because the concept of eating eggs every day goes against the principle of eating a varied diet.
Author Fay Weldon, who headed the team which came up with the famous slogan in 1957, branded the decision “absurd”.
The British Egg Information Service (BEIS) highlighted that eggs are packed with protein and essential vitamins and minerals and new evidence has shown that eating eggs for breakfast may also help with slimming. There are no restrictions on the number of eggs people can eat.
In an attempt to reach a compromise, the BEIS offered to add a line to the ads which would state that eggs should be eaten as part of a varied diet but the BACC rejected this suggestion as being contradictory to the overall message of the ads. Instead, it has placed the ads on a special website, so you can decide for yourself.
Nutritionist
Look for your self and decide whether the ads should be banned.