Cheese Regulations - Crackers Says Sandra Gidley MP

12.00.00am GMT Fri 12th Jan 2007

Romsey MP, Sandra Gidley today (Friday) branded the Food Standards Agency Nutrient Profiling Model used by OFCOM to define 'junk' foods, as "simplistic and counter-productive"..

The cheese industry is set to be hit by new OFCOM regulations which will restrict television advertising of food and drink to children under the age of 16. The products that are to be restricted are defined by the scientifically-flawed FSA Nutrient Profiling model which categorises products based on portions of 100g - far more than Britons typically eat. Using the current model, cheese, a British favourite, is classified as a "high fat high salt" product and therefore cannot be advertised to children.

Commenting, Ms Gidley said:

"Ministers have managed to make a real hash of what should be good regulations. Liberal Democrats welcomed the Government's plans to ban advertising of 'junk' food during children's programmes. How preposterous, though, that OFCOM restrictions should be based on a model so flawed as to take cheese off the air, while diet cola, which has no nutritional value whatever, is left firmly on children's menus.

"People in Britain consume on average just 28g of cheese a day, and children eat just half that. It is 'junk' food - not cheese - which is the problem in people's diets.

"As more people - women in particular - are threatened by nutrient deficiencies in their bad diets, which can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis, the principle of restricting the advertising of cheese to children defies common sense.

"Cheese provides much needed calcium and protein to children and adults alike.

"The Food Standards Agency contends that their aim is to encourage companies to reformulate their products to conform to the new regulations. For a highly processed product this maybe an option, but for cheese this is impossible. Cheese is a natural product and has, for example, to be preserved by salt. In any event, why would we ask companies to change a natural product into an artificial one just to tick Ministers' boxes?"

Note to Editors:

Sandra Gidley has signed a Commons motion, tabled by fellow Liberal Democrat and Chair of the All Party Group on Cheese, Dan Rogerson MP, calling on the Government to revise the Nutrient Profiling Model, which defines cheese as 'junk'. The text of the motion follows:

EDM 591

ADVERTISING CHEESE TO CHILDREN

That this House welcomes the principle embodied in Ofcom's new regulations to ban advertising of junk food products while children's television programmes are on air; notes with concern, however, that Ofcom will use the Food Standards Agency Nutrient Profiling Model to determine which foods will be subject to the ban; notes that this model is scientifically flawed, based on a one-size-fits-all portion size and will proscribe nutritious foods like cheese from being advertised to children yet allow whole milk - cheese's key ingredient - to be advertised; welcomes the positive contribution both cheese and milk make to our national diet and economy; and calls on the Government to revise the Nutrient Profiling Model to ensure the regulations improve children's diets across the country