"Feeding kids meat is child abuse" (PETA)

68 complaints

ASA verdict - Not upheld

What the ASA said:

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This poster stated “Feeding kids meat is child abuse”. Complainants objected that the ad was irresponsible because it encouraged parents to withdraw meat from their children’s diet without replacing the nutrients it provides. Complainants also objected that the campaign trivialised child abuse, was offensive and distressing to parents who fed their children meat and misleadingly implied that eating meat could lead to obesity.

Although the campaign carried an ‘anti-meat’ message we decided parents were likely to understand that if a food is withdrawn from a child’s diet, the nutrients that food provided should be replaced. Whilst we recognised that some viewers would find the text used in the ad inappropriate, we considered, that in context, the ad did not trivialise child abuse or mislead consumers.