Dairy has fallen foul of 'food police'

But now even dairy has fallen foul of the “food police” with new healthy eating guidelines claiming people should halve the amount of cheese and milk they consume.

The revised guidelines mean just one large latte coffee could put a woman over her recommended daily limit of dairy foods.

Critics last night slammed the move, claiming it takes no account of the fact that the calcium in dairy is essential for healthy bones and brain development.

The Eatwell Guide, produced by Public Health England but which also applies to Scotland and Wales, is at odd with recent efforts to boost the ailing dairy industry.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has said he wanted to see sales of Scottish cheddar cheese double across the UK over the next five years but Terry Jones, director-general of the

Provision Trade Federation, described the guidelines as a “kick in the teeth” for dairy farmers already struggling to cope with milk prices below the cost of production.

He said: “I find it staggering that at a time when ministers are expressing their support for the sector, an executive agency of Government should not only put out a message that will encourage consumers to reduce their consumption of dairy but also seemingly ignore the positive role they can play in public health.”

Until now the guidance for a healthy diet suggested 15% of the daily intake of 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 calories for women should come from dairy.

The latest Eatwell guide has revised that figure to say just 8% of calories should come from dairy or dairy alternatives such as soya milk.

It means that for a woman, a large latte coffee made with whole milk, which contains around 170 calories of dairy, could be more than her daily limit. Alternatively, she could eat three slices of sandwich cheese (four for a man) or have a bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk and three cups of white tea or coffee.

Dr Anne Mullen, pictured, a registered dietician and former lecturer at King’s College London, who is now the director of nutrition at the Dairy Council, said: “Milk and dairy products are nutrient rich and nutrient dense, so they really pack a punch.

“The body also absorbs nutrients from dairy far more efficiently than from fruit and vegetables, and PHE should have taken that into account. It’s simply not realistic to suggest people can get what they need from other food types.”

But Heather Peace, head of nutrition science policy at the quango Food Standards Scotland, which supports the new guidelines, said: “The Scottish diet is not improving and the problem of diet-related ill-health now spans generations.

“Our research shows most Scottish people are eating too many foods such as cakes, biscuits, confectionery, crisps and sugary drinks, and we should all aim to limit consumption. We should be eating more fruit and vegetables, more fibre-rich foods and more oil-rich fish.

“There is certainly no intention to knock the dairy industry – the Eatwell Guide is simply the way we put scientific advice into layman’s terms.”

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