Um Bongo producer The Gerber Juice Company has seen an opportunity for some PR having released a statement to distance itself from UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom’s recorded use of the phrase "Bongo Bongo Land".

Bloom used the phrase as he claimed that overseas aid was being wasted on luxury items such as sunglasses and Ferraris.

The fruit juice manufacturer has released the statement as Bloom’s words have drawn condemnation, and he has been told by his party not to use the terms again.

The statement, attributed to a Gerber Juice spokesperson, said: "We're proud to say that Um Bongo is alive and well and being made under license in Bridgwater, Somerset with the kind permission of the orang-utans, rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses that own the brand. Um Bongo has no political affiliations at all, although all our owners are keen environmentalists. We're currently on sale in several leading UK supermarkets with some exciting new flavours and we're raising funds to save orang-utans from extinction."

Um Bongo saw its popularity peak in the Eighties with a long running cartoon TV advert playing for several years.