Farming industry leaders have relaunched a campaign to boost sales of red meat and dairy products.
The We Eat Balanced campaign, run by UK farm levy body the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), first ran at the beginning of the year.
It featured a TV advert and promoted the sustainability credentials of red meat and dairy production in the UK, and the role of red meat and dairy in a healthy diet as both products contain the essential vitamin B12.
AHDB hailed a successful campaign, despite an investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) into complaints about its content.
The ASA received 487 complaints about the campaign, including submissions from the Vegan Society and Compassion in World Farming UK.
The complainants said the campaign adverts were misleading because they implied that consumption of meat and dairy was required in order to eat a healthy, balanced diet, and to obtain vitamin B12.
They also said the adverts “misleadingly implied” that livestock used for meat in the UK were typically outdoor-grazed and had a minimal environmental impact.
Speaking ahead of the relaunch of the campaign this week, AHDB director for Scotland, Paul Flanagan, said: “The next phase will focus on social media and online advertising to drive home health and sustainability messages.
“The campaign will also be supported in supermarkets with on pack stickers on nine million meat and dairy products.”
He said consumer testing, commissioned by AHDB ahead of this stage of the campaign, revealed increased levels of freedom following lockdown had initiated a shift in consumer behaviour.
“People are questioning the role of meat and dairy in their diet, so it’s even more important that we provide consumers with the facts to allow them to make informed decisions about their food choices,” added Mr Flanagan.
“They need to be confident that by enjoying quality British meat and dairy products they can maintain a healthy and sustainable diet.”