Animal aid poster angers industry

12 March 1998

Animal aid poster angers industry

By Boyd Champness

A POSTER campaign urging people to turn vegetarian to end the
“senseless” slaughter of farm animals has angered the meat industry
which is seeking to block the campaign.

Animal welfare group Animal Aid plans to put up 100 posters around the
country with the slogan Meat kills – just say no! as part of veggie
month.

Mark Gold, Animal Aid campaign co-ordinator, said 850 million animals
are killed each year in the UK. The group hopes to convert 10% of the
UK population to vegetarians by 2000.

“There are also important health advantages in becoming vegetarian,”
he said.

The group claims that meat eaters suffer from a higher incidence of
lethal diseases such as heart disease, cancers, bowel disorders, high
blood pressure and food poisoning. It estimates the number of people
dying in the UK each year as a direct result of eating meat could be
as high as 120,000.

Its these last couple of points which have infuriated the Meat and
Livestock Commission. The MLC has approached the Advertising Standards
Authority seeking to have the posters removed as soon as they are put
up.

Ray Barrowdale, MLC spokesman, said the groups argument that red meat
consumption causes a higher incidence of deadly diseases was
completely unfounded.

Only last week, the Department of Health issued a report saying people
eating the recommended daily amount of red meat do not need to cut
down. Its only warning was to people eating almost twice the
recommended daily amount.

“The information they (Animal Aid) have put out is completely
inaccurate apart from anything else. Weve approached the Advertising
Standards Authority but we cant do anything until the posters
actually go up,” Mr Barrowdale said.