Chicken meat advertising by Proviande only partly "misleading

The organization Animal in focus (TIF) had filed a complaint against the advertisement in February, criticizing the "misleading overall impression". The subject of the ad created by Polyconsult Campaign shows three chickens in a wooden coop with a raised beam under the motto "Box seats for our poultry". Proviande, the trade organization of the meat industry, suggests "that Swiss chickens live in small groups in a cozy wooden barn," TIF said at the time. This paints a false picture of the industrial use of animals. In addition, the animal rights activists criticized the advertising on two other points.

None Figure 1 to 1

The advertising material was not objectionable in its overall impression, the Fairness Commission ruled in a decision from the beginning of July, which TIF made public on Tuesday and which is available to the Keystone-SDA agency. The average addressees, i.e. meat eaters, would recognize that the illustration does not correspond 1 to 1 to the actual circumstances. For average viewers, it would also be recognizable that in the campaign, the breeding of animals in the so-called "particularly animal-friendly stables" (BTS) of the federal animal welfare program would be advertised in comparison to other mass animal husbandry. No reference is made to free-living animals.

Not steady discharge

However, the self-regulatory body of the advertising industry criticized an advertising statement about the outdoor run of the broiler chickens. In the BTS barns, the chickens always have access to a winter garden during the day, according to the advertising. In fact, however, this access is voluntary until the 21st day of life. The animal rights activists also claimed that broiler chickens are slaughtered again at an age of 22 to 37 days.

The Fairness Commission considered it "at least misleading" that access to an outdoor climate area is advertised in this way when access for the animal "only becomes relevant at all during a few days". It recommended that Proviande not use this statement in the future. On the other points, the Commission rejected the complaint.

Proviande stated on request that it would not contest the decision and would refrain from advertising the winter garden in the future. The new wording will simply state that all BTS stables have a protected outdoor area. In its animal welfare programs, the federal government subsidizes livestock farms such as BTS that take greater account of the needs of farm animals. In addition, the federal government subsidiarily supports Proviande's marketing efforts to promote Swiss meat with a share of no more than 50 percent, provided the industry raises the corresponding funds of its own. (SDA/hae)