The US Food Allergy & Research Education (FARE) organisation called out the company for making fun of the potentially life-threatening condition.
ADVERTISEMENTUber Eats was forced to make last-minute changes in its Super Bowl commercial which made fun of a peanut butter allergy, after facing a backlash from the food allergy community.
The issue came under the spotlight as the commercial, made specifically for the enormous sporting event, was about to be watched by more than 100 million people.
The advertisement for the food delivery brand initially featured celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, David and Victoria Beckhams, Usher and others, all forgetting something, in exchange for remembering to use the service.
However, one clip made light of the peanut allergy in a scene when a man forgets that there are peanuts in peanut butter and gets an allergic reaction.
The video in its original form earned a lot of backlash from people on social media, one of them saying they had lost children to food allergies.
The NGO Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) eventually called out Uber Eats on the matter and, shortly before the Super Bowl, thanked the food delivery firm for agreeing to edit out the controversial parts.
CEO of FARE Dr. Sung Poblete said in a statement, "FARE would like to thank Uber for listening to our community and making the changes to their Super Bowl ad. After talking with them today, I believe we have a new ally in helping us navigate our journey with our disease."
This was a "win for the food allergy community", he added.
Uber Eats did not comment on the matter.
The prestige of being in the spotlight during the Super Bowl comes at a high price for a company advertising its wares. The advert cost $7 million (€6.5m) for 30 seconds this year, according to Dentsu, the global advertising agency. Brands usually prepare clever and creative ad campaigns for what is one of the US's most important viewing occasions.
