butter shelf

Sir: Joanna Blythman hits the nail on the head with her views on the ‘fatuous advice’ about diet and health, particularly in respect of saturated fats and salt (Second Opinion, 13 June, p25).

In 1993 the Advertising Standards Authority, pressured by nutrition experts, responded to Whole Earth Foods’ launch of Superspread, a non-hydrogenated alternative to butter, by banning us from advertising because we questioned the health benefits of trans fats. Millions of Brits with minor blood pressure conditions were advised by the NHS to abandon butter and replace it with margarine. Then it was salt that was demonised. Nobody has measured how many people died as a result of this misguided advice.

The food industry has been bullied into compliance with these misguided notions so should not be blamed. However, lives have been shortened and lost.

Mis-selling of pensions has led to compensation. Is it not time to consider compensation for those whose health has been harmed by this large scale mis-selling of dietary advice?

Craig Sams, chairman, Gusto Organic

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