BAI to ban Chessy advertising

Charlie Flanagan suggest that the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is ready to ban cheese advertising to children, however the BAI have made no such decision.

Yesterday Fine Geal made a press release into the ban on chesse advertising before 9pm on national television in Ireland. Flanagan said yesterday that he welcomed the move to review the Children's Commerical Communications Code "however, the BAI's proposal to include banning cheese adverts before 9pm as part of this review is a step too far."

The BAI have since made announcement saying that they have so far no plans for such a ban. Micheal O'Keeffee the Chief Executive of the BAI stated "At this point, the BAI has not proposed a ban on the advertising on any food or drink prior to 9pm. "

The worry from cheese makers across the country appeared at the outset of this public consultation into the Children's code. The BAI opened up a public consultation into the findings of an expert review group into the growing problems surrounding advertising for young children and increased obesity levels.  The National Dairy Council (the lobby group for the cheese industry in Ireland) were quick to make their opposition know to the proposed new rules. 

In October 2011 they outline reasons to exempt cheese from the proposed new rules. The NDC's Chief Executive Zoë Kavanagh stated at the time  “The positioning of cheese in this proposed regulation as, effectively, 'junk food' could create reputational issues which may take years to reverse.”

It may be the case that Charlie Flanagan has been watching too many episodes of The Good Wife, below Eli Gold's new food pyramid.