JR Holland Food Services has been selected as an official provider for Isafruit, the European scheme for provision of free fruit in the workplace.

The Team Valley-based company is a major supplier of fruit and vegetables in the North East, including supplying all the local authorities in the region, and is in full support of workers increasing their fruit and vegetable intake.

JR Holland will provide for The Fruit at Work study, part of the Europe-wide Isafruit project, a first for the UK, which has been developed by the Technical University of Denmark in collaboration with Newcastle University and will be taking place at Durham County Hall.

The project involves 400 employees, half of whom will receive two pieces of fruit per day while the other half will receive none, before swapping halfway through. During the test period the research team will measure weight, blood pressure and waist-line along with examining snacking behaviour, staff morale and overall productivity.

Dennis Hutchinson, managing director of JR Holland Food Services, said: “We all know that fruit is fantastic for your health and wellbeing, but for one reason or another, there are a vast majority of workers who are not eating enough.

“There are many initiatives promoting healthy eating to school children but I think sometimes employees within the workplace need a bit of reminding.”

Charlotte Bryant, research nutritionist and project co-ordinator at Newcastle University, thinks cost and availability are the two main reasons people do not eat enough fruit. She said: “This project overcomes both of these problems. The idea is that if people have easy access to fruit they are less likely to reach for unhealthy snacks.

“Fruit and vegetables are a fantastic source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibres, helping protect the body against chronic diseases and reducing fluctuations in blood concentrations. Our Danish counterparts seem to have the right idea, with more than 60 per cent of companies providing free fruit to their employees.”

The Isafruit project, funded by the EU, is worth €13.8 million (£12.9m) and involves more than 300 scientists from 16 different countries.

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