MONMOUTH MP David Davies has criticised new rules which could see advertisements for whole-fat milk disappear from children's television. Mr Davies spoke out following reports that supermarket chain Asda is limiting its new commercials to skimmed varieties after its whole- fat milk fell foul of new Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines. The FSA, which has previously decreed that honey, raisins, Marmite and cheese are unsuitable for advertising to children, is responsible for issuing the regulations. These are then policed by Ofcom, who ensure the rules are not breached. Speaking during a visit to a local dairy farm near Monmouth, Mr Davies said: "I find it incomprehensible that the FSA can, on the one hand, classify whole-fat milk and cheese as junk food, while on the other hand allow chicken nuggets, diet colas and oven chips to be advertised without any problem. "There seems to me to be a serious problem with any system that allows for such ridiculous and baffling inconsistencies. I think the FSA needs to go back to basics and take a long hard look at the guidelines it is using and, if necessary, completely scrap them and start over again. "It simply beggars belief that Asda is unable to advertise its whole-fat milk due to these restrictions. Whole milk is a staple food naturally packed full of nutrients, and at 3.5 to four per cent, the fat content is minimal. "The dairy industry has been hit by crisis after crisis and the last thing we should be doing is allowing the Government to enact these ludicrous rules. "I have officially called for the FSA to review its guidelines and change the formula used to decide which products can and cannot be advertised to youngsters."
