The mania surrounding both the health of the nation and the rights and wrongs of marketing to children is exploding all around the produce industry's most recent promotional initiatives and the National School Fruit Scheme.
But Roger Manning of Inter-Trade International believes there is a danger that mixed messages about food will harm all sectors. Manning, who sits on the Promotion Working Group of Freshfel, that is aiming to create a single European promotional campaign, told freshinfo: "While we should be heartened that governments and health organisations are now alive to the need to reverse obesity in both children and adults, the media in particular and also politicians will only be helping the cause if they accept their responsibility to contribute, as opposed to complaining about the food industry.
"While our industry sits on the right side of the fence in terms of its health benefits, it isn't helpful seeing virtually the whole food industry being attacked. Also it would appear no-one has thought about the alternatives when you virtually ban marketing and advertising to children," he said.
"My concern is that the major food conglomerates will all attempt to grow new muscles by grafting on health benefits - and this perception could create distraction from kid's favouring fresh produce.
"Our industry should be proud of its role in actively supporting initiatives such as the Bangor Project and some of the efforts that the government has adapted from our earlier initiatives, such as 5-a-Day and Fruit for Schools.
"However, we must be more active in employing every resource available to promote the virtues of fresh fruit and vegetables and I am a little worried that we are abdicating the responsibility to health organisations and governments - without taking a lead role ourselves.
"The European Commission has been very positive in providing funding for many of our produce colleagues' initiatives in Europe, and it is good that the FPC is active with Freshfel in its work to explore co-ordinating all our national promotional efforts to forge stronger links with health organisations as a single voice.
"It is only by bringing the sum of the parts together that the whole of our efforts will start to have an impact. This must involve the retail and wholesale sectors as an integrated part of our industry's drive - as the current isolated efforts just convey further mixed messages."
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