Gluten-free, lactose-free and free of cows

Conflicted food supply in face of a new ethics of consumption

Abstract

Based on the analysis of the discursive materiality that constitutes the advertising campaign “Update your milk”, from the brand of natural drinks Do Bem from Rio de Janeiro, and the different reactions of consumers about the campaign, especially in the digital social network Instagram, the present article seeks to demonstrate how certain discourses about food are themselves manifestations of the contemporary ethics that support and legitimize the food consumption in Brazil today. The observation of the controversy surrounding the campaign highlighted the disputes of meaning and struggles for recognition between the vegan discourse and the agribusiness, pointing out paths for understanding the defining criteria of right and wrong in Brazilian society today.

Keywords: Activism. Food. Consumption. Discourse. Veganism.