Ministers have played down the long awaited childhood obesity strategy, dropping curbs on junk food advertisements, negatively portraying dairy and instead focusing on school sport.
The publication of the strategy, first expected in December 2015, has been continually delayed throughout the months.
Dr Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK, said it is "a shame to see yogurt portrayed in a negative light again."
Under the plan, food producers will be asked to make a 20 per cent reduction in the sugar content of children’s foods such as cereals and yoghurts by 2020.
"According to National Diet and Nutrition Survey data used by both the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and Public Health England itself in its call for evidence, the category including yogurt, fromage frais and dairy desserts only accounts for 6% of added sugar intake for children aged 4 to 10, against 14% for sugar and chocolate confectionery and 9% for cakes and pastries.
"Yet this strategy brings yogurt to the fore when it should be at the bottom of list.
"Yogurt is a nutrient-rich food and contains many other nutrients, not just sugar," Dr Bryans said.
'Dairy industry is responsible'
Dr Bryans said the dairy industry is a "responsible industry".
"Our number one priority is to deliver wholesome and nutritious foods to consumers and has already taken significant steps over the years to meet consumer expectations through reformulation," Dr Bryans said.
"We will seek urgent clarification on whether these new reformulation targets will apply to imported products as well as domestic products.
"The question of whether consumers are willing to accept changes in the taste of their favourite products is an important factor when reformulating food products.
"We need a level playing field for both domestic and imported products lest consumers abandon domestic products in favour of imported products, which would defeat the purpose of the strategy and penalise the UK industry.
"Nutrition policies which target individual nutrients do not always provide a balanced view of foods.
"We need to look at the big picture when it comes to nutrition policies and finally start looking at dietary patterns as a whole," Dr Bryans concluded.
