Dear Coles

We are writing to you to request you remove an advertisement from Facebook on the grounds that it is false and misleading. The link is here [and another and another].

The advertisement states that "you need around 3 serves of dairy per day". This claim is false and likely to mislead consumers.

The 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend adults consume two and a half serves from the "milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives" food group. The guidelines explicitly state that the group is not called "dairy foods" and does not include butter, cream or ice-cream. It also recommends that foods obtained from animals be modified to reduce the unhealthily high fat content. The guidelines list alternatives to animal products including calcium-enriched plant milks such as soy, rice and oat milks.

Based on this evidence from Australia's top health authority, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the statement "you need around 3 serves of dairy per day" is clearly false and should be removed from your social media pages immediately.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Greg McFarlane
Director
Vegan Australia