Foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar cannot be broadcast around shows aimed at 4-9 year olds. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have prevented ASDA from airing an advertisement promoting whole milk to children. The reason for refusal, apparently, was the non-compliance with Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines.  However, a glass of whole milk (200ml) is NOT “high” in fat, sugar or salt. It would be classified as “medium” for fat, saturates and sugars and classified as “low” for salt.

A glass of semi-skimmed milk would be classified the same as a glass of whole milk. A glass of skimmed milk would be classified as “low” for fat, saturates and salt, but would still be classified as “medium” for sugars content. The fact that milk is classified as “medium” for sugars is a misnomer, as although milk contains lactose, sugars of most concern are those described as non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES). However, the FSA criteria do not take account of NMES.

The front of pack nutrition panel used by many food manufacturers and retailers, shows the energy, fat, saturates, sugars and salt content per serving, together with the percent Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) for each nutrient. Using the GDAs for children aged 5-10 years, a glass of whole milk provides:

Energy:  7%

Fat: 11%

Saturates: 24%

Sugar: 11%

Salt: 7%

of a child’s guideline daily amount.

One reason suggested for the advertisement being rejected is the need to tackle the rising obesity levels among children. However, a glass of whole milk provides only 131kcal (7% of a child’s GDA for energy). If a child was to consume a glass of semi-skimmed milk instead, this would provide 93kcal (5% GDA), a reduction of only 38kcal.  Thus, changing to reduced fat milk is unlikely to have much impact on the obesity epidemic. However, despite the increasing prevalence of obesity, milk consumption has fallen by 33% since 1975. Also, a review of studies examining relationships between milk consumption and body mass index (BMI), Elwood et al (2005) found that there is no evidence that obesity is related to milk consumption.

Milk has a wealth of nutritional benefits. It is a source of high quality protein.  A glass of milk (whole or reduced fat) is a source of calcium. Calcium is important during growth, particularly for bone health.  In later life, bone mass is lost. It is thought that the greater the peak bone mass that is achieved in youth, the more bone mass one can afford to lose in later life, before one becomes at risk of fractures. Milk also contains many other nutrients. For example, milk and milk products contribute 33% to riboflavin intake among adults (Henderson and Gregory, 2002).

There is no such thing as a “healthy” food. One can achieve a healthy diet by including a wide range of foods. It’s all a matter of how much of each type of food one eats.  Milk is a very important part of our diet. Children should not be discouraged from consuming milk.

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