Getting a whiff of some rotten publicity, the American division of Barilla issued an apology via Facebook and Twitter for homophobic remarks made by the company chairman Guido Barilla, in a raidio interview Wednesday night.

At Barilla, we consider it our mission to treat our consumers and partners as our neighbors – with love and respect – and to deliver the very best products possible. We take this responsibility seriously and consider it a core part of who we are as a family-owned company.

While we can’t undo recent remarks, we can apologize. To all of our friends, family, employees, and partners that we have hurt or offended, we are deeply sorry.

Speaking on the Italian show La Zanzara, Signore Barilla claimed he'd never use gay people in a Barilla ad. "For us the concept of the sacred family remains one of the fundamental values of the company....Everyone has the right to do what they want without disturbing those around them..." Barilla said if the LGBT community was bothered by that, "they can go and eat another brand"

And just for good measure, he burned gay parents: "I have no respect for adoption by gay families, because this concerns a person who is not able to choose."

By this morning, Barilla was all apologies: "With reference to my statements yesterday to the press, I apologize if my words have offended some people.For clarity I would like to point out that I have the deepest respect for all people, without distinction of any kind. I have the utmost respect for homosexuals and freedom of expression. I also said, and repeat, that I have respect for marriages between people of the same sex. Barilla in its advertising has always chosen to represent the family because this is the symbol of hospitality and love for everyone."

We're sorry—did something get lost in translation? Because that doesn't sound like what you said at all.

(Image: Dan the Man)