A television advertisement featuring comedian Mike King assembling what he says is an Indian recipe pork dish has been pulled from the air after it was pointed out Hindus don't eat pork.
In the advertisement, for 100% Trim Pork, King says: "Here's a great Indian recipe I pickedup in Delhi. Well, near the deli section, Butter Pork." Indian music is heard in the background and the camera focuses on a statue of a Hindu goddess.
The complainants, D. Ramanlal and A. Bonior, said a scene that showed the goddess in close proximity to a pork dish was inappropriate as Hindus did not consume the meat. Meat was also not permitted in temples or prayer rooms where such idols were kept.
The Pork Industry Board said it "acted immediately to withdraw the commercial from air and re-edit it so that it would be acceptable".
"Our intention in the campaign was to be inclusive, certainly not to insult or distress." It said the statue belonged to one of the television production staff and it had been a last-minute inclusion on set.
The Advertising Standards Authority chairman said the advertisement had been amended and did not need to be put to the complaints board.
