An affordable variety of fresh fruit and vegetables is a “vital element” of a healthy diet and remains the keystone for helping UK consumers achieve 5 a day consumption target.
This is the view of the UK’s Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), which has welcomed the British government’s commitment to look at the recommendations of a study that called for fruit and vegetables to be made more affordable.
The Fruit and Vegetable Task Force, a panel of experts set up by the UK government that includes the FPC, earlier this week released a report which urged the authorities to make fruit more easily available in offices and schools.
Among other recommendations, the study also called on the government to include potatoes in its ‘5 a day’ fresh produce consumption campaign and to subsidise processed and frozen fruit and vegetables for low-income families.
In a statement, the FPC said that it welcomed the authorities’ commitment to take on board the recommendations of the report and would be monitoring closely progress as individual departments consider these recommendations.
“We want to see that the fresh produce industry is not hampered by unnecessary regulatory burdens and has every opportunity to increase UK production and encourage greater consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables,” said FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney.
“The task force took on board the challenges of increasing production of indigenous crops and has included wide ranging recommendations, while recognising that we cannot be totally self-sufficient in all fresh produce.”
“It is vital that both the industry and Government play their part in encouraging people of all ages to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, which is the central objective of the task force.”
FPC also identified to the task force the significant potential of the wholesale and food service sector which accounts for a third of overall sales of fresh produce in the UK to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables.
As well as this, Mr Jenney urged the UK government to “secure the future” of the country’s School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme “as a national priority”, including retaining the current central procurement strategy.
