'Children's advertising about pork is misleading'

"The Dutch pig sector's campaign to inform children about pork and its production uses misleading and incorrect information," concluded the Advertising Code Appeals Board in the appeal between the Producers Organization Pig Farming and the Pigs in Need Foundation. This follows the statement that the Advertising Code Committee already made last December. The POV announces that it will adjust the lesson booklet.

Last year, Varkens in Nood filed a complaint with the Advertising Code Committee about 'The Pig Story', a campaign by the Dutch pig sector. As part of that campaign, the Pig Farming Producers Organization sent teaching materials to primary schools. "This booklet paints an extremely positive picture of the sector and does not mention the negative sides of intensive pig farming," said Varkens in Nood in the complaint, supplemented with 32 appendices.

Appeal
Although the Advertising Code Committee partly agreed and ruled that the campaign is in conflict with the Children's and Youth Advertising Code and the Environmental Advertising Code, the Pigs in Need also disagrees on many issues. The Producers Organization for Pig Farming decided to appeal the ruling, but to no avail. "The advertisement improves the image of pig farming among children and thus indirectly promotes pork products. The teaching material is therefore advertising aimed at children and also contains misleading information," writes the Professional College Advertising Code.

According to the Appeals Tribunal, one of the inaccuracies is the statement that pigs have 'a lot of fun and toys'. The comment that 'young piglets usually die because the sow lies on them' is also considered misleading.

Make adjustments
The Producers Organization Pig Farming announces that the lesson booklet will be brought in line with the Advertising Code. The lawyer of the POV examines the wording. "In concrete terms, it concerns the change of 1 to a few words, in a total of 5 sentences." The POV reports that it concerns the following 5 sentences:

1. Did you know that when young piglets die, this usually happens because the sow lies on it?
2. The piglets can walk through the entire pen. 
3. There is enough fun in the groups and they can play together with the toys that are in each loft.
4. Sows run free throughout gestation in groups, with plenty of room to move and laze around.
5. An infographic contains the term: clean air.

"Furthermore, the criticism was that the sender should be stated more clearly. This will now appear in the footer on every page," says the Producers Organization Pig Farming. 

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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