According to the latest study by French association Familles Rurales, published in French daily La Croix, fruit and vegetables have seen a relatively moderate increase in average prices this summer of 3-5 per cent.
Nevertheless, the report stated, French consumers are eating less and less fresh produce, with many stating price as a key reason.
Less than 12 per cent of those asked had eaten five portions of fruit and vegetables the day before, with 43 per cent giving price as the chief obstacle.
According to Bruno Dupont, president of French interprofessional organisation Interfel, it is the 'perceived value' that remains the biggest barrier to fruit and vegetable consumption.
More at fault, the study suggested, was the amount of time French people spent cooking, which continues steadily to decrease, above all in towns and among young people.
Familles Rurales also discovered that the price gap between organic and conventional produce was diminishing, while fruit and vegetables of a French origin were not always more expensive than those from elsewhere, both contrary to popular belief.
