Sales of 1% fat milk have soared to record levels this year, with predictions that it will overtake skimmed and full-fat products in popularity.

The government's food watchdog, the Food Standards Agency, said sales had risen after a multimillion pound advertising campaign urging consumers to cut their intake of saturated fats. It advised shoppers to switch to 1% fat milk which has less fat but the same nutrients as semi-skimmed and full-fat milk.

Sainsbury's, which became the first UK supermarket to launch its own-branded 1% fat milk in April last year, said the product was set to revolutionise dairy consumption in Britain.

It is common in the US and Canada, but in just more than a year it has become the milk of choice for health-conscious shoppers in the UK. They have switched from semi-skimmed milk because it tastes similar, and has the same amount of calcium and vitamin B, with half the fat content, Sainsbury's said.

Consumers are also switching to 1% fat milk from skimmed milk because they prefer the taste and it is healthier, it added.

Sainsbury's said 1% fat milk now has a 10% share of the milk market, and is consumed in more than 2.5m UK households. Sales of 1% fat milk are set to overtake those of skimmed milk by spring 2010 and of full-fat milk shortly afterwards.

Dairy products such as milk and cheese are important to our diets because they contain important nutrients. But they also contain saturated fat, which can cause heart disease.

The FSA estimates that Britons consume about 20% more saturated fat than is recommended.