Fresh fruit and vegetable consumption in the European Union is on a downward trend, according to the latest edition of the Freshfel Consumption Monitor, which analyses the production, trade and consumption statistics across the bloc.
Released today (28 April), the Consumption Monitor – which analyses the latest data up to the end of 2012 – showed that fresh produce consumption across the EU stood at 286.96g per capita, per day in 2012, an 8.2 per cent fall on 2011 and a drop of 8.7 per cent on the average of the 2007-2011 period.
Freshfel Europe noted that the statistics mean fresh produce consumption in the EU as a whole remain under the level recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 400g per capita, per day (g/c/d), and out of 28 member states, 18 are below recommended WHO levels.
Per capita fruit consumption in the EU stood at 167.62 g/c/d, down 11.8 per cent on 2011 and 14.2 per cent on the 2007-2011 average, while per capita vegetable consumption in 2012 was 219.33 g/c/d, down 5.3 per cent on 2011.
The report showed that, while EU production and imports of fruit and vegetables fell in 2012, exports grew 17 per cent for fruit and 8 per cent for vegetables, with non-EU countries 'more and more compensating for the drop in EU consumption', according to Freshfel.
“The Consumption Monitor shows that fresh fruit and vegetable consumption in the EU has further declined in 2012,' said Philippe Binard, general delegate of Freshfel. 'The low consumption makes it urgent to do more to stimulate fresh fruit and vegetable consumption.
'The European Union has just decided to increase the budget for the school fruit scheme from €90m to €150m, and the budget for EU promotion measures – much of which goes to fruit and vegetables – from €60m to €200m in 2020,' he continued. 'This should provide more favourable conditions for promotion measures that emphasise the fun, taste and healthy aspects associated with fresh fruit and vegetables.
'On its part, Freshfel remains active to foster a positive and efficient framework for generic promotion of fresh fruit and vegetable consumption under the guidance of the Freshfel Promotion, Communication and Image Committee. It also maintains dedicated websites such as ENJOY FRESH (www.enjoyfresh.eu) and KIDS ENJOY FRESH (www.kidsenjoyfresh.eu) and keeps them updated for the general public.”
Other key findings of this year's report were that fruit production dropped 12 per cent to 32.5m tonnes, while vegetable production fell 6 per cent to 50.3m tonnes, and that imports from third countries decreased 3 per cent to 10.7m tonnes while exports to third countries grew 17 per cent to 4m tonnes.
