Landmark ruling for farming as AHDB's ‘We Eat Balanced’ complaints not upheld by ASA

Complaints about AHDB’s We Eat Balanced advertising campaign have not been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority in an important ruling for British farming.

The £1.5m campaign, which ran across TV, print and social media during January and February 2021, reached up to 18.5 million people.

Key messages around naturally occurring Vitamin B12 and how red meat and dairy production in the UK is amongst the most sustainable in the world, aimed to remind consumers of the role red meat and dairy play in a balanced diet. The campaign attracted 487 complaints in total.

AHDB’s Chief Communications and Market Development Officer, Christine Watts said:

“We are delighted with the ASA’s ruling and are grateful for the careful consideration they gave to all the points which were raised. 

“For British farming this is an important day as we can continue to communicate the benefits around consuming red meat and dairy as part of a balanced diet.  We work hard to ensure our campaigns are robust and evidence-based’

“We are now focused on preparing for the next stage of our campaign, which will launch later this year, tapping into consumer trends around diet, health and environmental sustainability.”

The We Eat Balanced campaign has been nominated for The Food and Drink Federation's Campaign of the Year award. 

Read more about the campaign and the ruling from Christine Watts.