'Nanny state' health ban on full-fat milk for 3-year-olds

CHILDREN as young as three have been banned from drinking full-fat milk in Scottish nurseries and schools, provoking a storm of criticism from nutritionists, who have accused ministers of "tokenism".

A Scottish Government directive, which is being phased in at all primary and secondary schools, prevents pupils from drinking the "high-calorie" milk that has been recommended by health visitors and midwives for generations, replacing it with the semi-skimmed variety.

The Scotsman has learned that even three-year-olds are being blocked from drinking whole milk at some nurseries, despite the fact that the legislation does not apply to pre-school age children.

Last night, health experts raised concerns that the Scottish Government's healthy-eating drive was excessive and denied young children the essential fats they need as part of their normal development.

Dr Rafe Bundy, a lecturer in nutrition at Glasgow University, said: "Full-fat milk has 4 per cent fat and it is actually a low-fat food. When you think about it, compared with a lot of foods milk is low-fat because it is mainly water: it is water and vitamins and calcium and protein.

"I must admit it doesn't make a lot of sense," said Dr Bundy. "This is a bit of tokenism."

The Scottish Government's decision is part of a range of healthy-eating measures to improve the diet of children in Scotland, amid fears of an obesity crisis.

Under the Schools Health Promotion and Nutrition Scotland Act, primary schools were told to offer at least two portions of fruit and vegetables every lunchtime and limit deep-fried food to three items each week.

But critics say the outlawing of full-fat milk smacks of the "nanny state" and an overreaction, when the emphasis should be on cutting out fatty foods such as chips and burgers.

Janet Fyle, a professional policy adviser for the Royal College of Midwives, said full-fat milk was crucial to a child's development.

She said: "I would never have dreamed of giving my children semi-skimmed milk. It was always full-fat milk. Milk is still important for young children.

"Whole milk and full-fat dairy products are a good source of vitamin A, which helps the body to resist infection and is needed for healthy skin and eyes.

"Semi-skimmed and skimmed milk are for adults who have issues about their weight."

Nurseries in Aberdeen City Council area have replaced full-fat milk with semi-skimmed, while some at Argyll and Bute Council serve semi-skimmed to under-fives.

East Lothian Council said semi-skimmed milk had been issued to pre-school children in error and would be withdrawn.

The Scottish Government is facing increased pressure to tackle obesity. One in five children of Primary 7 age was believed to be obese in 2004-5, and it is estimated the problem is costing Scotland 171 million a year.

Judith Gillespie, of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said nurseries banning full-fat milk were breaching the Scottish Government's own guidelines, which suggested that all dairy products used in nurseries should be full-fat.

A Scottish Government spokesman said the move was to help children achieve a balanced diet throughout the school day.