Plans to restrict cheese ads aimed at children deeply flawed, says IFA

The IFA has criticised as “deeply flawed” proposals by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to restrict the advertising of cheese to children along similar lines to confectionery.

IFA dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey said farmers fully support any constructive action to counter the increased prevalence of obesity in children and teenagers, but adds it is nonsense to give cheese the same ‘unhealthy’ label as, say, sugary drinks. The farmer group wants BAI to base its actions on scientific evidence and not rely on “a process tainted by a conflict of interest which puts into question its entire credibility”.

Mr Kiersey said: “Recent comments by TDs and the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney show that the IFA information campaign is working. However, it is high time for the BAI to recognise that its insistence on restricting advertising of cheese not only to children, but in a general way (the recommendations from the BAI would restrict the amount of advertising time available to so-called ‘less healthy’ foods, including cheese, even when not targeted to children) is flawed, wrongheaded and not evidence-based.”