Toy company gives pig toy the chop to avoid causing offence
Early Learning Centre withdraws pig from children’s farmyard set after receiving feedback from religious mums and dads
An interactive farmyard toy has come under fire when a mum realised that the HappyLand Goosefeather Farm set was missing a pig. However, the pigs absence wasn’t a one-off mistake - it had been removed because it was feared it may cause offence to Muslim and Jewish parents.
Toy company Early Learning Centre decided to ditch the pig from the set after receiving complaints from parents from other religions who cited the farmyard animal offensive to their culture. Despite the set containing a pigs sty and a button which has an ‘oink’ sound, ELC withdrew the pig character from the set, which also includes a chicken, horse, cow and sheep.
However, because of customer complaints and feedback in the UK, ELC has promised to issue owners of the pig-less farmyard a pig toy free of charge.
“ELC is a truly global brand, which means we need to be aware of the full range of customer expectations and cultural differences. The decision to remove the pig from our Goosefeather Farm set was taken in reaction to customer feedback in some parts of the world,” a spokesperson from ELC told us.
“We recognise that pigs are familiar farm animals – especially for our UK customers. Taking on board all the customer feedback, we have taken the decision to reinstate the pig and to no longer sell the set in those international markets where it might create an issue. Any customers who have bought Goosefeather Farm in the last few months will be able to order a pig free of charge to complete their set via our website in the coming weeks.”
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