A bungled attempt to alter a photo of Israel's ambassador to Brazil apparently enjoying a lobster lunch with President Jair Bolsonaro has been ridiculed on social media, where users accused the embassy of censoring the non-kosher shellfish.

The photo of Yossi Shelley and Bolsonaro was taken Sunday ahead of the Copa America soccer final between Brazil and Peru.

Posted on the embassy's official Twitter account, the photo shows the plates scribbled out, but what appear to be lobster shells are still visible.

"The lobster was censored!" decried Twitter user Lorde Ingles of the photo that was liked nearly 2,700 times on the social media network and drew a thousand comments.

Vudu Reverso posted a photo of the men with the offending meal cropped out and the message: "Guys, did any of us stop to think that it was enough to crop the photo?" 

Another Twitter user called Xamander shared a digitally-manipulated version of the photo showing unidentified meat and rice decorated with a smiley face on the ambassador's plate. 

Bolsonaro's plate features what appears to be a fruit salad in the shape of a lion's face.

"I helped you do a better job with the photoshopping," Xamander wrote.

The Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on why the photo was doctored.

According to Jewish kosher dietary rules, fish with fins and scales are allowed to be eaten, but shellfish are forbidden.

AFP