The top food advisor to the UK Government has rejected the prospect of adding veganism to official recommendations as he says people are ‘freaked out’ by the diet.

Henry Dimbleby is leading a review into Government guidelines which will help shape the national food strategy in England. 

He told The Times he would not be advising people to cut down on animal products for health or environmental reasons because it would be ‘prescriptive and nanny-stateish’.

“Veganism has been suggested as a solution to climate change but we are not going to tell everyone to become vegan,” he said.

“People felt freaked out by that; it felt prescriptive and nanny-state-ish. You can be healthy eating a vegan diet, but among dieticians, it is accepted that it is harder, especially for children.”

Dimbleby, co-founder of restaurant chain Leon, said his focus was on genetically modified crops and ‘higher quality’ or lab-grown meat.

The Vegan Society dismissed the recommendation. Dietician, Heather Russell said in a statement: “Nutritional planning is important for everyone.

“We work with the British Dietetic Association to share the message that well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living in people of all ages. Nutrition guides for every stage of life are available at vegansociety.com/nutrition.”

• Read: UK Government Says Animals Do Not Feel Pain In Planned Laws After Brexit

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Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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