The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has welcomed a ruling by UK watchdog the Advertising Standards Agency that has said advertisers cannot claim that frozen vegetables have more nutrients than their fresh counterparts.
The ASA has published its adjudication on advertisements run in the country by Birds Eye, which claimed that frozen vegetables had '30 per cent more vitamins' than their fresh equivalents.
However, the ASA's assessment concluded that Birds Eye should not have made comparative nutritional claims between frozen and fresh vegetables, and that the company should ensure it had 'substantiation' for future claims.
'Thanks to an efficient supply chain most fresh products are available for the consumer to enjoy soon after harvest, ensuring that consumers can enjoy the ultimate convenience food at its very best,' said Nigel Jenney, chief executive of FPC. 'The greatest loss of nutrients in fresh produce occurs in the home during preparation and cooking.
'The food industry faces an immense challenge of encouraging people to eat 5-a-day,' he added. 'It was a shame that Birds Eye felt it had to resort to knocking the benefits of fresh produce in order to promote its frozen products.'
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