Rogerson calls for revision of advertising restrictions on cheese
North Cornwall MP, Dan Rogerson this week stepped up his lobbying efforts in support of the cheese industry and has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) calling on the Government to revise the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Nutrient Profiling Model used by Ofcom to define ‘junk’ foods.
Mr Rogerson chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cheese and has openly branded the FSA Nutrient Profiling Model as “simplistic and counter-productive”.
“People in Britain consume on average just 28g of cheese a day, and children eat just half that amount. It is ‘junk’ food – not cheese – which is the problem in people’s diets,” comments Mr Rogerson.
The British 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. Using the current model, cheese, is classified as a ‘high fat, high salt’ product and therefore cannot be advertised to children. The model ignores the significant contribution cheese can make to a balanced, healthy diet not only because it focuses on salt, sugar and saturated fat but also because the average serving size for cheese is between 30 and 40 grams.
Commenting today, Mr Rogerson said:
“We are in support of the principle embodied in Ofcom’s new regulations to ban advertising of ‘junk’ food products while children’s television programmes are on air, but members of the APPG on Cheese are united in saying that cheese should not be included in this ban as it is a natural, safe and nutritious food of great importance in a healthy balanced diet.”
“Disappointingly the FSA are still refusing to review the model, and are standing by the fact that it is scientifically sound. It is imperative therefore that this issue be brought to the attention of Parliament, as many MPs and Peers are currently unaware that cheese has been caught by this ban.”
“An EDM will allow us to widen the debate and support our request that Government revisit the restrictions with a view to revising the FSA model so as cheese is excluded from the ban and common sense is restored”.
