French nutritional research centre CERIN has voiced its concerns about the impact of the economic crisis on the national diet.
The percentage of the household budget spent on food was in decline in France, CERIN said, a factor that was having negative consequences for dietary balance.
Even prior to the crisis, it continued, two-thirds of French consumers believed their purchasing power was falling with regard to food, with almost half of households admitting to having changed their dietary habits as a result.
In the last year, sales of fruit and vegetables had fallen by at least 2 per cent, CERIN stated.
The organisation revealed its fear that, since poorer households were more vulnerable to the effects of the crisis, dietary inequality might increase, leading to severe obesity problems in the future.
