Despite the fact that fresh fruit and vegetables offer the general public many potential benefits, particularly when it comes to nutrition, health and the environment, consumers continue to take them for granted, according to European industry association Freshfel Europe.
What's more, other sectors in the meantime are increasingly abusing the positive image of fresh produce for their own marketing purposes, the organisation has claimed.
For that reason, it has called on the fresh produce sector at large to put even more effort into highlighting such benefits.
'Besides a robust, pro-active advocacy of these positive benefits, the sector needs to simultaneously promote even more the inherent properties of fresh produce, namely taste, texture, quality and the sheer pleasure of enjoying a fresh fruit or vegetable,' the group said in a statement.
'A truly holistic approach from the industry is needed to raise consumption levels all across Europe.'
Despite falling consumption levels over the past five years, European consumers are reportedly becoming increasingly aware of the specific benefits that fresh fruit and vegetables can offer, with new figures from a recent Eurobarometer survey suggesting that 58 per cent of people in Europe believe a healthy diet means eating more fruit and vegetables.
'Fresh produce has a critical role to play in the prevention of chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes,' Freshfel continued.
'The majority of European citizens – 83 per cent according to Eurobarometer – also considers the impact of a product on the environment when deciding which product to buy.
'Various recent studies have shown that consuming fruits and vegetables represents an environmentally friendly way of feeding the world’s rising population.'
The group added: 'Furthermore, the fresh produce sector is rightly recognised as having been pro-active in developing sustainable agricultural practices to meet the evolving requirement for refinements and improvements across the supply chain.'
