FARE calls for boycott as Mars campaign undoes ‘years of advocacy work’

Key takeaways:

• Mars plans to update the text in its campaign for those with peanut allergies.
• FARE is asking to meet with Mars CEO and urges members of the public to share their concerns.

Food Allergy Research and Education is asking the public to boycott Mars products over what the organization says is a harmful media campaign.

The “Hungry Skies” campaign, first introduced by Mars Inc. in late April, encourages travelers to bring a Snickers bar with them on board airplanes as part of an “essential travel snack.”

The campaign press release outlines efforts to recruit millions of consumers to reach for Mars products in travel situations. The “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” slogan that is associated with the Snickers bar is to be applied to everyday travel scenarios where passengers are feeling out of sorts on their journeys.

But allergy advocates such as FARE are warning the brand that this campaign can have deadly effects on those with peanut allergies. Current estimates show that over 6 million people live with a peanut allergy in the United States.

In a press release, the CEO of FARE, Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, stated that the campaign is “undoing years of advocacy work” to make airplane environments safer for those with peanut allergies.

“We have asked Mars to abandon their ‘Hungry Skies’ ad campaign because it is aimed at encouraging people to bring Snickers onto planes,” Poblete said in the release.

Poblete further explained that FARE spoke with Mars, but the company only offered “half measures.”

“I told them that was not enough and that they are creating a tinderbox situation that could harm someone with a peanut allergy,” she said.

Current guidelines require a doctor to administer epinephrine onboard an aircraft, making it harder for passengers and crew to deal with in-air allergy emergencies.

“On-flight emergency medical kits are riddled with inconsistencies — some have syringes and vials of epinephrine while others don’t have anything — and that is a risk our community can’t afford to take,” Jason Linde, MA, senior vice president of advocacy for FARE, told Healio.

Jason Linde

Healio reached out to Mars for comment about the situation. The company explained that it met with FARE and shares in FARE’s belief that everyone should be able to travel safely.

“Passengers should always follow the instructions of cabin crew, including refraining from eating peanut products when asked, and we are in the process of updating the text in our campaign content to make this even clearer,” a Mars spokesperson told Healio.

“Because, at Mars, we take allergens seriously and the safety and well-being of our consumers will always be our No. 1 priority,” the spokesperson continued.

FARE asked to meet with Mars CEO Poul Weihrauch, MBA, and sent the company a detailed letter explaining its concerns but said it has yet to receive a response.

“Mars Inc., your ad poses a serious risk,” Poblete said in a video statement. “We urge you to remove it. Don’t make the ‘Hungry Skies,’ the deadly skies.”

References:

• FARE. Deadly skies. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX2nMfRSQmY. Published July 22, 2024. Accessed July 25, 2024.
• “It is not worth endangering lives to promote a candy bar.” https://www.foodallergy.org/it-not-worth-endangering-lives-promote-candy-bar. Published July 23, 2024. Accessed July 25, 2024.