Urgent action is needed to reverse an alarming decrease in consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables across much of the European Union, the European fresh produce association, Freshfel Europe, has insisted.
In the latest edition of its annual Freshfel Consumption Monitor, which analyses trends in the production, trade and supply of fresh produce across the 27 EU member states, the association found that per-capita consumption of fresh fruit fell by 7.8 per cent year-on-year in 2010 following a sharp decrease in 2009.
Fresh fruit intake was also down by 9.4 per cent compared with the average figure for 2005-2010.
Meanwhile, consumption of fresh vegetables across the EU-27 during 2010 also fell, by 7.4 per cent compared with 2009, and by 10.3 per cent against the five-year average.
According to Freshfel, urgent action at all levels is needed to stop the downward trend and bring consumption levels back to satisfactory levels.
Philippe Binard, the organisation's general delegate, commented: 'Unfortunately, the data released demonstrates again that the consumption continued to be in worrying declining trends.
'While data for 2011 is not yet available, unfortunately the trend is likely to be prolonged also for 2011 given the impact of the economic crisis as well as the consequences of the EHEC `E coli` outbreak.
'A more cautious approach by consumers to limit waste might alleviate the decline by effectively consuming what is purchased, but this corrective effect would unfortunately not be sufficient to remedy the negative trend.'
Consumption trends
The ninth edition of the Freshfel Consumption Monitor covers the period from 2005 to 2010 and identifies a number of EU-wide trends relating to production, imports and exports.
The publication also includes specific information on net supply of fresh produce, alongside consumption trends on an aggregate basis for the EU-27 as well as for individual member states.
Findings from the latest study show that in 2010 the total net supply of fruit per capita in the EU stood at 235g per day, while the corresponding figure for vegetables was 223g per day.
On an aggregate EU-27 basis, this figure was higher than the World Health Organization's 400g per day minimum recommendation, but below that threshold in some member states.
Freshfel president Ramon Rey commented: 'The monitor contains an impressive source of information on trends in the EU-27 member states and also identifies consolidated EU trends.
'It is a unique report and a valuable tool for companies in the fresh produce sector and public sector alike.
More than ever, Rey argued, everyone involved in the European fresh produce sector needed to work together to stimulate consumption.
Operators from the private sector as well as public authorities needed to join forces and address the worrying decline.
Rey added: 'In the last years Freshfel took the lead for the sector at the European level to engage in a pro-active attitude to halt this negative trend.
'The launch of the Enjoy Fresh website is a positive step that has been welcome by many as filling a gap.
These first steps will still have to be reinforced by building a network platform around Enjoy Fresh, incorporating both public and private stakeholders who would like to join forces and expertise to finally reverse this decline in consumption which has marked the last decade.'
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