Specifically, it has been the Court of Barcelona in relation to the advertising of a plant-based meat company
The crusade against internal combustion cars seems to have no end. Something that is pushing the inevitable rise of the electric car and that sometimes reaches curious extremes. Heura Foods, a meat start up for vegetarians in Barcelona, came up with a slogan for their advertising that read “A meat burger pollutes more than your car”.
In November 2020, a banner with that phrase was placed in Madrid and was denounced by the organizations of Interpoc (Interprofessional Organization of White-Coated Pork) and Provacuno (Interprofessional Agrifood Organization of Beef), alluding that this comparison was denigrating and illicit advertising.
In fact, another of the slogans has been: “With Madrid Central, we have reduced pollution by changing the way we move. Why not change our way of eating now?”, alluding to the anti-pollution measures of the Spanish capital and of the DGT.
Filed the lawsuit and after a year and a half in the judicial process, the Barcelona Court has ruled that, in effect, this advertising that compares meat with internal combustion cars is an illegal, misleading and demeaning claim against the products to which represent associations.
Therefore, the Catalan Provincial Court amends the first decision of a court that did not see the need to take precautionary measures. Now, however, thanks to this ruling, that advertising must be withdrawn immediately.
The legislation punishes not only false advertising, but also advertising that misleads consumers. A statement of such caliber and so categorical can mislead consumers, when comparing meat with the environmental pollution produced by cars.
For this reason, the company Heura Foods must cease the campaign in question and remove all advertising in this regard as a precautionary measure, in addition to publishing the content of the judicial resolution through the social networks where the activity took place.
