MP hosts dairy industry in Westminster
North Cornwall’s MP, Dan Rogerson, held a special reception in Parliament this week for leading members of the dairy industry.
The local Liberal Democrat MP leads the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cheese, which exists to promote cheese as part of the British diet. The Chairman of Dairy UK, Mark Allen, addressed the meeting to speak about the pressures the industry faces.
In recent years new regulations have categorised cheese as ‘junk food’, preventing its advertisement to children. Mr Rogerson has campaigned for reforms to the ‘Nutrient Profiling Model’, which the Government uses to decide which foods are categorised as junk.
Parliamentarians and industry representatives sampled a selection of British cheeses from around the country, including Cornish Yarg.
Commenting afterwards, Dan Rogerson said:
“It’s been great to get so many representatives together to discuss the way forward for the dairy industry.
“Much of the milk produced in Cornwall goes into cheese. It’s vital we maintain cheese as a part of British national life, and defend the product as a nutritious benefit in our children’s diets.
“Of course, if people eat cheese in excess – just as if they eat anything else in excess – that would be bad for them, but a sensible amount of cheese contains vital calcium and protein to promote healthy growth and strong bones.
“I was particularly pleased to welcome Mark Allen to address the meeting since he played a pivotal role in supporting the cheese factory at Davidstow in North Cornwall.”
Notes to Editors:
· One third of UK milk is used to make cheese
· The total market amounts to some 650,000 tonnes of cheese
· There are some 700 different types of cheeses in the Uk
