The absurdity of the FSA's Nutrient Profiling Model was thrown into sharp relief again this week when it emerged Asda had been forced to drop whole milk from its latest TV adverts because it breaches Ofcom's rules on advertising food to kids.

Asda's latest ad campaign, which aired for the first time on Friday, features comedian Paul Whitehouse on a dairy farm in a move to highlight the company's fair treatment of farmers.

But the supermarket chain was forced to leave whole milk out of the adverts because it was deemed too high in sugar by the FSA's Nutrient Profiling Model, which is used by Ofcom to determine which foods can and cannot be promoted during kids' programmes.

Whole milk contains 4.7g of sugar per 100g - 0.2g above the 4.5g threshold above which a product cannot be advertised to kids. The news emerged as the FSA and Ofcom prepared to host a meeting next Tuesday to begin a review of the controversial model - only two months after it came into effect.

A furious Asda said the "ridiculous" Nutrient Profiling Model was giving consumers the message that milk was bad for them.

"Are we saying that kids shouldn't drink whole milk as part of a healthy balanced diet?" said Asda marketing director Rick Bendel.

"We're genuinely baffled as to why products loaded with artificial colours, sweeteners and other additives can cruise onto children's TV without any problems, but something that's wholly natural can be demonised in this way."

Asda was among the first of many high-profile supporters to sign up to The Grocer's Weigh It Up! campaign, which is calling for Ofcom and the FSA to rethink the Nutrient Profiling Model.

At present, all foods are measured by the model in a 100g portion, regardless of the quantities in which they are normally consumed - which means many nutritious products eaten in much smaller amounts, such as cheese and Marmite, fall foul of the ban, too.

'Milkgate' highlights another serious flaw with the model - that it fails to distinguish between natural and added sugars.

This anomaly also means other naturally sweet foods - such as raisins and honey - cannot be advertised to children.

Asda has pledged to step up its support for our campaign by writing to secretary of state for culture, media and sport Tessa Jowell.

It will write to Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards, make a formal complaint to both Ofcom and the FSA, and lobby local MPs to garner further support for the campaign.

The debacle follows criticism of the model by Ben Bradshaw, minister for local environment, marine and animal welfare.

"I share members' concerns about the advertising decision last year by Ofcom, which was made on the advice of the FSA," said Bradshaw at a recent Westminster debate on the dairy industry.

"I welcome the FSA's commitment to look again at the Nutritient Profiling Model and to review it."

Meanwhile, Baroness Thornton's Television Advertising Food Bill had its Second Reading at the House of Lords yesterday (Friday).

The bill proposes banning the advertising of food products between 5am and 9pm that do not meet the nutritional standards specified by the FSA's Nutrient Profiling Model.

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