The overwhelming popularity of UK-produced cheese is underpinned by important nutritional facts and these should be recognised more widely, according to the company.
Dr Judith Bryans, director of the Dairy Council, said: “Cheese is a tasty, versatile and convenient food that can fit into almost every eating plan.
“Like milk and yogurt, cheese provides a number of important nutrients to the UK diet. Hard cheese, such as Cheddar, makes a significant contribution to recommended intakes for protein, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin B12 for young people.
“A moderate amount of cheese isn’t over-the-top on calories either. Government guidelines suggest that the average women should consume around 2000 calories a day, while the average man should consume around 2500 calories; a 30g piece of Cheddar contributes just 6% of this figure for a woman and 5% for a man.”
Dr Bryans said that decision-makers within government are under constant pressure regarding food policies but this often resulted in perfectly good, nutritious foods being portrayed in a negative light.
“The facts speak for themselves and we would welcome even more support for a food that the people of Britain cherish. People have been eating cheese for thousands of years and today we should be celebrating the fact that British cheesemakers produce more than 700 cheeses.
“One of the most frequent questions we are asked is about salt. The issue of salt in food is an important one and we support the general principle of reducing salt in diet. This should not however translate into a view that any food containing salt is bad. That is misleading and not supported by the science.
“Salt is an integral part of the cheese making process. Cheese simply cannot be made without it. It is added for safety and technical reasons.
“Cheese manufacturers have worked very hard to overcome technical barriers and reduce salt levels in their products. They have worked constructively and positively with government agencies to do this whilst producing products which are nutritious, safe and acceptable to the public’s tastes.”
Source: The Dairy Council
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