As was the case with fabada, the Almirall laboratory, which manufactures the medication against acidity, Almax, withdrew this Thursday an advertising campaign that had been in Valencian pharmacies for weeks and that linked paella with acidity. In the campaign you could see a photo of a paella (with chicken, rabbit, bajoqueta, garrofó and rice) along with the slogan "Almax, and enjoy Valencia without acidity", along with another photograph of Almax products.
Sources from the laboratory have explained to the SER chain that the campaign was carried out "with the best intention" to "promote" Spanish gastronomy, but seeing the controversy generated in Asturias with fabada, which forced the Asturian president Adrián Barbón to intervene, this Thursday they decided to withdraw the campaign also in Valencia. Barbón demanded an immediate rectification from the laboratory: "I join this campaign of rejection as president of the Principality. Almax must apologize to the Asturian people and immediately withdraw this campaign that is disrespectful," he wrote on his social networks.
From the Almirall laboratories they clarify that the campaign had the approval of the Self-Care in Health Association and that the company did not have any bad intentions when carrying out the campaign, since similar initiatives had been carried out in other years.
Conhostur and Hostelería València had threatened Almax this Friday with taking all the necessary actions to protect Valencian gastronomy if he did not withdraw that campaign as soon as possible.
In a statement, the hoteliers demanded the immediate withdrawal of the campaign because, according to them, it will harm tourism, farmers, producers and all professionals in the Valencian Community: Remember that paella is the most important dish of Valencian gastronomy thanks to its balance, its good taste, the values associated with it and its ingredients that are purely typical of the Mediterranean diet. They deny that it is linked to discomfort, acidity or other harmful aspects.
