Bizarre fight in Westminster as ministers clash over health campaign which 'portrays cheese as junk food'

Department of Health campaign calls on people to buy reduced-fat cheese
Farming ministers moaned it would alienate farmers and cheesemakers
Government said it was supportive of Britain's £10billion dairy industry

A heathly-eating campaign about cheese has sparked a bizarre clash at the heart of government.
Farming ministers have complained to the Department of Health about a campaign designed to encourage people to cut down the amount of saturated fats in their diet.
They say it will unfairly target the British cheese industry.

Ministers clashed in Westminster over the Change4Life campaign which calls on people to switch to skimmed milk and buy reduced-fat cheese

Senior Tories in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs warned that a planned poster campaign would alienate farmers, the dairy industry and the makers of full-fat cheese – including those in key marginal constituencies.
It comes amid a growing debate over whether saturated fats are actually harmful.
Earlier this month researchers at Cambridge University said that giving up fatty meat, cream or butter was unlikely to improve health.

The Defra ministers complained to Public Health Minister Jane Ellison over plans to intensify the ‘Change4Life’ campaign.

The Government has denied saying cheese was 'bad' and said it remained supportive of Britain's £10billion dairy industry

Change4Life calls on people to switch to skimmed milk and buy reduced-fat cheese.
A source said: ‘You could have had posters going up in farming areas that were badly flooded telling people to cut down on the amount of cheese they buy. It was unbelievably stupid.’

The Government last night denied saying that cheese was ‘bad’, and said it remained supportive of Britain's £10 billion dairy industry.
A spokesman told The Telegraph: ‘The Change4Life Smart Swaps campaign… does not suggest that dairy is bad for you. The smart swaps campaign includes five recommended smart swaps, one of which was switching to low fat cheese.
‘We are clear that milk and cheese can be enjoyed as part of a healthy and balanced diet which also supports the UK’s £10billion dairy industry employing more than 5,000 people.’