Fresh fruit loses ground in France

The French now eat more processed fruit than fresh fruit, according to the ministry of agriculture's analysis of consumption of the last 10 years.

Out of a total consumption of 11.4m tonnes of fruit, the French consume more than 7m tonnes of processed fruit, mostly in the form of fruit juices, Fld reported.

This figure has increased by 38 per cent in the last decade, while fresh fruit consumption has declined by 6 per cent.

The biggest losers have been peaches, citrus (excluding oranges), grapes and apples, although apples remain the most consumed fruit in the country.

In 2009, apples, bananas and oranges accounted for nearly half of fresh fruit consumption in France.

Apple consumption still stands at 17kg per inhabitant per year, but this figure represents a decrease of 19 per cent over the last decade.