The milk chocolate placed on an equal footing with the drinks?

Photo Fotolia, Brent Hofacker

Gilles Turmel

Wednesday, 7 march, 2018 18:44

UPDATE
Wednesday, 7 march, 2018 18:51

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The dairy farmers are opposed to the intention of Health Canada to classify some of their products such as milk chocolate, on a footing of equality with the drinks.

The federal agency is currently working on a project that would require the display of the amount of sugar in many products. This would be the case, for example, milk chocolate and some types of low-fat yogurts in which sugar is added for matters of taste.

This perspective concerned the dairy farmers, who fear that some of their products to be reclassified.

“We would be on the same shelf as the drinks. Take a chocolate milk. There is sugar, we do not deny that, but there is something else, while in a soft drink, there is nothing other than sugar,” said Bruno Letendre, president of milk Producers of Quebec.

The producers argue that dairy products are good for health and that they do not deserve to be considered as mere sugar-sweetened beverages. “Health Canada has many studies on the nutritional value and the benefits of dairy products, but it does not seem to worry about it now,” lamented the president of the milk producers in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gabriel Belzile.

Health Canada is expected to hold consultations in the coming months on its project and the dairy farmers have the intention to take part.

“We, what we said to the government, it is based on scientific studies”, summarized Mr. Letendre.

The dairy industry forms the most important agricultural sector in Quebec. It represents 5 600 farms, thousands of jobs and annual revenues of more than $3 billion.