Recommendations from the Commons Health and Social Care Committee on the forthcoming Childhood Obesity Plan include extending the soft drinks industry levy to milk-based drinks which have extra sugar added.

They also call for a ban on advertising and promotion of follow on formula milk as this has long represented a ‘back door’ route to advertising of formula feeding saying that there needs to be better enforcement of the existing rules around the promotion of infant formula milk.

Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK, said: “We fully recognise that tackling childhood obesity is a major challenge and no effort should be spared in making progress in this area.

“Dairy UK supports the principle of what the committee is trying to achieve. However, we do not agree with the extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to include all milk-based drinks. This would have a detrimental impact on the marketing of high quality, safe and nutritious dairy products –  products which are nutritionally beneficial to children rather than being harmful.

“Milk and dairy products are proven sources of vitamins and minerals including calcium, iodine, vitamin B12, and riboflavin as well as protein, making dairy an important part of a healthy, balanced, affordable and sustainable diet. Regrettably, because of the way the Nutrient Profiling Model has been developed dairy products end up being penalised alongside junk foods.

“Milk-based drinks should, in our view, be exempt from the recommendations made by the committee. Dairy UK will be engaging with Public Health England, the UK Government and other relevant stakeholders to explain why the new Nutrient Profile Modelling should exclude any product containing over 75% milk, cheese or yogurt, on the basis of the contributions they make to children’s nutrient intakes and the benefits they provide.”

The Farmers’ Union of Wales warned that the recommended fiscal measures outlined in the plan could have detrimental and far-reaching implications for the Welsh dairy sector.

The FUW agrees with the aspirations of the Childhood Obesity Plan and supports action on widening health.  However, the Union strongly opposes the premise that sugary soft drinks and all milk-based drinks should attract similar tax based levies. Such products are incomparable and the transfer of a levy penalty to nutritional milk drinks is therefore inappropriate.

Dai Miles, FUW Milk and Dairy Produce Chairman, said:

“Milk and dairy products contain vitamins and minerals essential for health and well-being, including calcium, iodine, riboflavin and vitamin B12.

“It is the belief of the FUW that the Nutrient Profiling Modelling undertaken has done a tremendous disservice to nutritional milk products and could detrimentally affect the ways in which such products are viewed by the consumer.”

The FUW continues to promote the health benefits of dairy produce and will be engaging with relevant stakeholders to discuss the ways in which this plan should move forward.