Following the damage caused by the recent E.coli crisis on the European fresh produce industry, Freshfel Europe has said that there needs to be 'ambitious and coordinated action' to restore consumer confidence.
Freshfel said that the impact of the crisis on the sector was 'far from over', and called on the European Commission to offer 'proactive and reinforced' assistance in communicating with European consumers, and to support exporters in their efforts to recover lost market share in third countries.
The association recognised that the EC took 'some measures' to address the E.coli crisis, but said that these would not offset the damage suffered by the sector as a whole, with losses suffered across the chain and the image of fresh produce unfairly damaged in the long term.
'Fresh fruit and vegetables are healthy and tasty, providing many reasons for consumers to enjoy their great diversity,' said Ramon Rey, president of Freshfel Europe. 'One should always have in mind that behind fresh produce, there is a dedicated supply chain which guarantees the highest safety through good agricultural and distribution practice and traceability from production down to retail. All these efforts were put in jeopardy by the crisis.'
Ibrahim Elmadfa, director of the Institute of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Vienna, underlined the importance of a healthy diet, particularly at a time when many are having their diet influenced by fast instead of healthy food.
'The backbone of a healthy nutrition is widely agreed upon: fruits and vegetables are rich in micronutrients and, in most cases, low in energy and fat,' he noted. 'A healthy diet should be diverse, based on plant-derived foods with plenty of fruits and vegetables, including whole grain cereals and regular contributions of milk products and fish.'
Freshfel reiterated that initiatives taken so far by the EC to restore consumer confidence should be complemented by an 'immediate, ambitious and coordinated' communication campaign addressed to consumers.
'Given the unique critical situation of this crisis for the sector, timing and solid actions are of paramount importance,' said Philippe Binard, general delegate of Freshfel Europe. 'The European fresh produce sector is welcoming all actions by public authorities in assisting our activities and is ready to cooperate whenever possible.'
