Sheep association ‘appalled’ by lamb chops urinal ad
The National Sheep Association (NSA) has complained to the advertising watchdog over a food hygiene campaign that shows lamb chops photographed in the bottom of a urinal.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) created the campaign to encourage consumers to look for the food hygiene rating of restaurants and food outlets.
But the NSA, which has lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about the posters, says its members are “appalled” that lamb has been singled out and “saddled with such a negative image”.
NSA Scotland development officer George Milne said: “This advert is an absolute disgrace and portrays lamb is the worst possible way.
“Sheep farmers in the UK produce lamb to such an incredibly high standard – we have farm assurance inspections, full food-chain traceability, in-depth animal health and medicine records – and now we are faced with this photograph of lovely lamb cutlets in the bottom of a toilet.
“Even if you understand the message of the advert, which is not easy when the image is wrapped around bus shelters and telephone boxes, it still casts red meat in a very poor light.”
Mr Milne added that joint government and industry-funded bodies, such as EBLEX and Quality Meat Scotland, were spending money on advertising campaigns promoting red meat, only to be undermined by the FSA – another government-funded body – using this “terrible” image.
NSA chairman John Geldard has written to the FSA voicing extreme displeasure and asking for the image to be removed from public places as a matter of priority.
“I am furious and disgusted by the posters. It is clear no thought or consideration has been given to the sheep sector, following what has been an incredibly difficult winter for us,” he said.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales backed the NSA’s call for the immediate removal of the adverts.
The union has contacted the FSA demanding that they remove the images from all public places with immediate effect.
FUW president Emyr Jones said: “Launching a publically-funded campaign like this and associating a top-quality product with standards of hygiene which should result in premises being closed down is absolute madness and a disgrace.”