The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has called for a review of the recently announced 'Food Vision' for the 2012 London Olympics, claiming that it poses 'unnecessary restrictions' on UK suppliers sourcing fresh produce from overseas simply in the name of sustainability.
According to the consortium, participants and spectators should be able to enjoy a global selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, striking a balance between the need to eat healthily, the promotion of British seasonal produce and produced sourced from around the world.
'We support the move to source indigenous UK fresh produce when it is available,' said FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney. 'British seasonal produce at its best should be available at the London 2012 Olympics, and UK suppliers are well positioned to be able to source and provide a wide variety of fresh produce, some of which cannot be grown in the UK due to our climate.
'The fresh produce industry is keen to be able to demonstrate that it can cater for the extremely diverse tastes, preferences and dietary requirements of the Olympics,' he added.
FPC highlighted the fact that some imported produce will be grown in less greenhouse gas-intensive ways than the same products in the UK, with savings from greater efficiency outweighing the impacts of additional transport.
Meanwhile, the consortium has contested the inclusion of organic fresh produce in the Vision's aspirational standards, citing information from the Food Standards Agency that states there are no additional health benefits to eating organically grown fresh produce.
With the London 2012 Olympics seen as a prime opportunity to increase the visibility and variety of fruit and vegetables on offer, a key factor will be providing a wide variety of affordable food regardless of its origin, FPC said.
'It's disappointing to see proposals to limit consumers' choice and access to a wide variety of produce by imposing limitations on seasonality and provenance, whilst the games' major sponsors will be offering predominantly highly processed food,' Mr Jenney said. 'On this basis we are challenging London 2012's criteria for fresh produce.'
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