A DAIRY which has had its milk banned from Scottish schools has won one of Britain's most prestigious awards for food quality.

The Wee Isle Dairy, won the best chilled dairy product gong for its whole milk in the Quality Food Awards 2017 beating major names like Aldi, Asda and Iceland in the process.

Dairy owner Don Dennis described the school ban as "absurd" and urged a rethink of Scotland's milk policy.

In September, ministers said that a ban on whole milk to children in Scottish schools will not be reversed while urging the artisan dairy on the Isle of Gigha to switch to semi-skimmed.

The dairy which produces only whole milk and ice cream, has been challenging the ban after being prevented from supplying a local school under rules set out in 2008 aimed at reducing childhood obesity.

Mr Dennis claims the current guidelines are outdated and nutritional advice on the benefits of whole milk has changed in the last decade.

The Quality Food Awards honours food and drink products on sale in UK grocery outlets. Judges debate and discuss the merits of each product taking into account ingredients, taste, flavour, innovation and presentation.

Mr Dennis said: "For them to give the award to our milk, must mean they found it to be outstanding.

"This is a UK competition that has been running for 39 years, and is one of the most prestigious awards programs in the UK food industry. And we were up against the likes of Aldi, Asda and Iceland amongst others.

"I find it ironic to say the least, that our milk has won this major UK food award, yet is banned from schools in Scotland."

Mr Dennis raised the issues with education Secretary John Swinney who said the move to semi-skimmed in schools was an attempt to "reduce the amount of fat and saturated fat children consume"and had been important step in trying to reduce "high proportion of children at risk of becoming overweight or obese".

In a letter to the dairy owner, the senior minister also suggested applying for grants to acquire apparatus "to process milk from full -fat to semi-skimmed".

But Mr Dennis said the government is "missing the point altogether" and stressed that major new studies – in particular Canadian research published last year in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition – showed children who drank whole milk had fewer weight issues than whose who drank skimmed.

Children drinking whole milk also showed higher levels of vitamin D.

"When you consider the tradition of farmers giving skimmed milk to pigs when they want to fatten them up for market, it becomes clear that we have a milk policy for Scottish schools that is completely wrong-headed," he said.

"The reason the pigs get fat when drinking skimmed milk, is because it leaves them far hungrier than if they drink either water, or whole milk. So they gobble up the grains as a result.

"And what is happening with children in school? They are given skimmed and semi-skimmed milk, and as a consequence eat more snacks and puddings than would otherwise be the case.

"We need a new policy that is based on evidence, not on misguided notions from 'experts' who believe children should avoid butterfat as much as possible.

"I will not give up, as I am also aware that it takes years of concerted effort to bring about most government policy changes."

Under the guide to implementing the nutritional requirements for food and drink in schools (Scotland) regulations 2008, the only drinks permitted in schools are water, skimmed, semi-skimmed milk and other lower fat milks, milk drinks and drinking yoghurts, soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium, tea and coffee, and fruit juices and vegetable juices.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Semi skimmed milk is proven to have the benefits of full-fat milk, including high levels of calcium, with much lower levels of fat.

"The Scottish Government sets nutritional standards for local authorities to ensure pupils are offered balanced and nutritious food and drink in schools, this includes guidelines recommending the serving of skimmed or semi‑skimmed milk only."