An ad blaming bunny chow for indigestion is offensive because of the dish's roots in the days of indentured labour, a consumer told the advertising watchdog.
But the complaint about an Eno ad on Facebook was thrown out by the Advertising Regulatory Board, which said nothing in the ad “references apartheid, indentured workers, or any other human rights abuse”.
Ashim Ramasar told the watchdog that the bunny chow — a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry — dated from the days when indentured workers needed to carry food without crockery.
By using it in an ad, Eno “shows either a lack of understanding or a blatant disregard and disrespect for all those Indians who suffered before and during the apartheid era”, said Ramasar.
He also complained that a bunny chow was never served with sauce and chips, as depicted in the ad, and “a bunny chow is not necessary an unhealthy meal which will cause people to reach for Eno or similar products”.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which makes Eno, told the watchdog spicy and fried foods are common heartburn triggers, and the plate illustrated in the ad showed foods “commonly consumed among the majority of South Africans”.
GSK said while it regretted offending Ramasar, its ad “in no way, shape or form seeks to make a mockery of the struggles of colonisation and its effects on the Indian population”.
The regulator said it was sympathetic to Ramasar's submissions about the historical and cultural significance of the bunny chow, but the ad did not confine itself to the dish.
“The bunny chow is shown with fast food-style chips and tomato sauce, as well as with pap and gravy ... It shows various foods that South Africans eat as a 'quick fix' go-to,” it said in its finding.
“It shows a food that has become popular, in various forms, with South Africans of all race groups, and offers a solution for those who suffer discomfort after eating spicy foods.
“It does not discourage people from enjoying bunny chow — and in fact offers a solution for those who might otherwise avoid it because they suffer after-effects.”
Refusing to ban the ad, the watchdog said reasonable people “would not link the solution to the possible indigestion caused by eating a bunny chow with the history of the bunny chow, and would therefore not find the advertisement triggering or offensive”.
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