A new marketing campaign to eat homegrown meat and dairy products will, for the first time, use both the word British and the Union flag – thanks to the change in rules post-Brexit.
Both were banned under the EU State Aid edict, which restricted unfair competition among member states. But new UK legislation which replaces that ban has just come into force.
To celebrate, trade body the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is next week launching a new campaign called We Eat Balanced.
The marketing drive will “reinforce the importance of British meat and dairy in helping to form part of a healthy and sustainable diet”.
The AHDB said the campaign is an effort to counter opposition to a meat and dairy diet in the face of rising vegetarianism, while the flag and “British” will also be used in future campaigns, including Love Pork and Feed The Family For Less.
It added: “We had previously been restricted from using ‘British’ as the primary message because of EU State Aid rules.
“However, earlier this year, guidance on the new UK rules was published, as part of The Subsidy Control Act, opening the way for this change.”
As long as the use of the flag and “British” does not disrupt international trade, they are acceptable under the rules of the World Trade Organisation.
Liam Byrne, the body’s marketing director, said Eat Balanced will feature on social media, newspaper ads and within major supermarket stores, as well as stickers on individual packs of products and include links to healthy meat and dairy recipes.
He added: “We are incredibly proud that we have raised the bar yet again for 2023 with our industry-leading We Eat Balanced campaign.
“We believe that through these efforts, we can foster a strong and enduring connection between consumers and our British farmers, who are so passionate about providing quality and sustainable food at every step of its journey, from field to fork.”
