• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Breast Milk is Unhealthy for Children, but Diet Cola is As Good As Whole Milk

Posted on: Sunday, 25 September 2005, 18:00 CDT

CORNFLAKES are less healthy than a hamburger and diet coke is as good as whole milk, according to controversial advice drawn up by the Government's food watchdog.

It says takeaway chicken nuggets have the same health value as bran cereal but currants, raisins, walnuts and mixed fruit and nuts are classed as unhealthy.

Critics say the watchdog has also labelled breast milk as unhealthy for children.

The nutritional 'league tables', which state which household foods are good or bad for youngsters, have been compiled over several months by the Food Standards Agency.

They were produced as part of a drive to cut the growing number of couch-potato children so the findings that some foods regarded as healthy are actually the exact opposite are bound to raise eyebrows.

The tables were created by calculating the nutrients in 100g of each food or drink, with saturated fat, sugars and salt counting as negatives and protein, fibre and fruit and vegetable content counting as positives.

But minerals such as calcium were not taken into account, and there have been some surprising results such as the claim that cornflakes are worse for you than a quarter-pounder with cheese.

The chart was produced for the communications regulator Ofcom to support its proposals for tightening controls on food advertising, with the aim of tackling the growing problem of child obesity.

One million children under 16 are considered obese more than a fifth of the total number.

Ofcom is expected to use the league tables to restrict advertising of some foods and force manchildrenufacturers of 'bad' foods to display health warnings.

But the tables have been condemned by food producers, which have criticised the scoring system used to compile them.

Dr Ed Komorowski, technical director of the dairy industry's trade body Dairy UK, said: 'It is so ridiculous that we really hope the FSA has a rethink.

'On their reckoning, breast milk comes out as unhealthy for children. If the model made sense scientifically, it would not say breast milk was unhealthy.

'The model also implies that skimmed milk is healthier than whole milk. That is not right for The Food and Drink Federation, which represents manufacturers, said: 'It does not take into account the frequency of foods eaten, the combination of foods and the amounts eaten.' The British Nutrition Foundation, an independent charity, has warned the FSA that its model would be of 'debatable' usefulness.

The FSA said the league table would be used only to help create advertising bans rather than to instruct people on what to eat.

And Sue Davies of Which?

consumer group, a member of the panel advising the FSA on the model, said: 'Overall we think it's a good model.'

What the watchdog says is good and bad for you

Examples of ratings using the Nutritional Profiling Model (score in brackets; higher figure is more unhealthy)

FOODS .

UNHEALTHY high in saturated fat, salt or sugar: Corn snacks (22) White chocolate (18) Cornflakes (10) Roasted and salted peanuts (10) Bran cereal (6) Takeaway chicken nuggets (6) Takeaway quarterpounder with cheese (5) Fried potato croquettes (4)

. INTERMEDIATE Cod fish fingers (3) Fruit fromage frais (3) Takeaway egg fried rice (3) Mashed potato and butter (1) White bread (1) . HEALTHIER Roasted leg of lamb, lean (0) Lean grilled beef steak (-1) Old potatoes roasted in blended oil (-2) Takeaway stir fried vegetables (-4) Shredded Wheat (-6)

DRINKS

. UNHEALTHY Thick takeaway milkshake (2) Cola (2)

. HEALTHIER Diet cola (0) Whole milk (0) Semi-skimmed milk (-2) Skimmed milk (-2)

Source: Mail on Sunday; London (UK)

More News in this Category