The definition of junk food needs to be re-examined, as the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) nutrient profiling model (NPM) puts whole milk, yoghurt and cheese into this category.
The definition of junk food needs to be re-examined, as the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) nutrient profiling model (NPM) puts whole milk, yoghurt and cheese into this category.
The NPM is a new method of measuring the nutritional quality of food by quantifying things like salt, fat and nutritional content. As a result it wrongly labels some dairy products as junk food.
"Dairy products are packed with high-quality protein and micro-nutrients that are a vital part of a balanced diet," said Dairy UK technical director Ed Komorowski.
Dairy UK is a trade association that represents the interests of dairy farmers, producer co-ops, milk processors and doorstep delivery people.
Speaking ahead of a crunch Commons vote next month on wide-ranging food advertising restrictions, Komorowski told the Westminster Forum this week that the existing Ofcom ban on prime-time junk food ads had done little to lower youth obesity. He called for a change in focus by the FSA.
"Dairy UK recognises that obesity is reaching epidemic proportions and must be tackled by government and industry together. We welcomed the Foresight report on obesity, which identified that obesity was multi-factorial, and had hoped for a fresh look at the problem.
"However, the current ban on prime-time food adverts imposed by Ofcom, based on the NPM, has been a blunt and ineffective tool that should not be extended.
"Children - especially teenage girls - need calcium to build strong bones so that in later life they are less likely to develop osteoporosis. Children need many other nutrients too, supplied in the number of calories that match energy expenditure. Dairy foods are nutrient-dense and can help."
Komorowski also called on the FSA to tell consumers what they should eat, through its Eatwell plate, rather than focusing on "unhealthy" foods. He urged the FSA to promote a three-a-day dairy message, since research has shown that a dairy-rich diet can fight obesity.
"Promoting a balanced diet is a critical part of the solution, and until we begin to focus on this, advertising bans will only be a distraction."
The debate in the Westminster Forum comes in preparation for a Commons debate next month on Nigel Griffiths MP's bill to extend the television children's advertising watershed to 9pm. The debate takes place on April 25.
