Dairy APPG asks for 3 a day in UK
A new report published by the Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in the UK looks at how dairy products contribute to a healthy lifestyle at all ages and calls for greater efforts to promote dairy as part of a balanced diet.
The report, entitled ‘Putting Dairy Back on the Daily Menu’, follows a thorough enquiry on the role of dairy in the public health debate. The evidence presented to the APPG showed that policies that target individual nutrients do not always provide a balanced view of certain food and often fail to take into account the effect of whole foods and dietary patterns on health outcomes.
Based on evidence received during the enquiry, the Dairy APPG wrote to the Department of Health to ask for the implementation of a three-a-day programme for milk and dairy in nutritional guidelines in the UK. It has been hearing evidence from dairy participants in countries such as France, where the three servings a day recommendation is already installed, Simon Hoare MP, vice chairman of the Dairy APPG notes, “France, Australia, Canada and the US already have successful programmes in place, why not the UK?”
Hoare addss, “We have an outstanding industry in the UK that provides an ever-growing range of products and the government must recognise the key role dairy plays in any strategy on public health and healthy eating.”
Margaret Ritchie MP, vice chairman of the Dairy APPG, says, “Currents trends in dairy consumption are a concern; although milk and dairy foods are paramount to the development of children and teenagers, younger generations do not always see dairy as being an essential part of their diet. The government needs to work closely with schools to circulate positive messages about dairy more effectively and ensure that dairy consumption from a young age is a priority.”
Additional recommendations include promoting dairy as an outstanding sports recovery product, as a useful tool for helping healthy ageing, repealing nutrient profiles and a cautious approach to reformulation programmes that don’t recognize the nutrient-density of milk and dairy products. Other items include the issue of free versus intrinsic sugars in dairy, promoting the industry’s environmental credentials, and encouraging dairy consumption from a young age.
The Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group is a cross-party group of MPs and peers that provides a forum for parliamentarians to discuss issues of interest for the dairy industry and ensure parliamentarians are fully briefed on developments in the dairy supply chain. Heather Wheeler MP is its chairman.
