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Farmers blast TV ban on cheese adverts
New advertising rules branding cheese a "junk food" have been slammed as "dietary nannying gone mad" by a leading farming industry figure.
"To suggest there is anything inherently harmful about cheese is absurd," said the National Farmers Union's national director of communications, Anthony Gibson.
The new regulations, being introduced this month by television regulator Ofcom, will ban broadcasters from advertising cheese during children's TV programmes or shows with a large proportion of young viewers.
The controls are part of a Government clampdown on junk food TV adverts – aimed at reducing the exposure of children to food high in fat, salt and sugar. There is evidence that such commercials have an indirect influence on what children eat, and are contributing to obesity in the young.
The Food Standards Agency used a nutrient profiling model to distinguish junk food from healthy food, officially labelling cheese as more unhealthy than sugary cereals, full-fat crisps and cheeseburgers.
The model assessed the fat, sugar and salt content in a 100g or 100ml serving of food or drink.
But the British Cheese Board (BCB) said the typical cheese portion size was 30 to 40g – not the 100g used in the FSA model – and pointed out most cheese would be exempt from the ban if a typical sized portion was used in the model.
BCB spokesman Nigel White said cheese was one of the "most nutritionally complete foods" which could be an important part of a healthy balanced diet for all children.
Wensleydale Creamery managing director David Hartley said the cheese industry had been concerned for some time about the classification of cheese as a "junk food" under the new advertising regulations.
His company in Hawes does not advertise on TV but benefits from its links with children's favourites Wallace and Gromit, who adore Wensleydale.
Last August the Yorkshire Post launched the Uniquely Yorkshire campaign to secure protected status for Real Yorkshire Wensleydale and the bid for Protected Designation of Origin will soon go before the European Union in Brussels.
"Cheese is a pretty perfect balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate, with essential minerals such as calcium, and it's good for teeth and bones," said Mr Hartley.
"Milk has been described as the perfect food and for thousands of years cheese has been made as a way to preserve milk.
"People are trying to get away from processed foods, but cheeses like Wensleydale, or a good farmhouse Cheddar, are wholesome, natural products.
"Cheese is good for children as part of a good, balanced diet, with exercise and a healthy lifestyle."
His comments were echoed by Mr Gibson, who added the new rules were "dietary nonsense". He said the new rules were "of no use to consumers" and could even put people off eating healthy things.
Mr Gibson said the rules would be "thoroughly unhelpful to farmers" at a time when the dairy industry had been going through a "very difficult 12 months".
"Any wounds inflicted by our own authorities we can very well do without," said Devon-based Mr Gibson.
"It is not going to do anything to encourage the sales of cheese."
North Cornwall Liberal Democrat MP Dan Rogerson, who chairs the Parliamentary all-party group on cheese, said the FSA model was "simplistic and counter-productive".
He added that it was "perverse" that while milk could be advertised, cheese – which is made from milk – could not.
Other foods caught in the "junk food" ban include Marmite, Jaffa cakes, takeaway chicken nuggets, sausages, bacon rashers, pizza, hamburgers and chocolate.
Foods such as currant buns, frozen oven chips, chocolate-flavoured milk and lasagne ready meals are exempt from the ban.
n To add your support to the Uniquely Yorkshire campaign, visit our website at www.yorkshireposttoday.co.uk
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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