Pressure is building for government to include fresh potatoes as a portion of vegetables in its recommended 5 A DAY message.
“I fail to understand why fresh potatoes have been excluded from 5 A DAY,” said Fresh Produce Consortium ceo Nigel Jenney. “If we now allow composite foods such as smoothies to be included [in 5 A DAY], then why not fresh potatoes?”
The issue has been raised at the Fruit & Vegetable Task Force and is also backed by the NFU which has been working on the issue with the Potato Council. Horticulture board chairman at the union, Sarah Pettitt said: "I would like to see potatoes that are going to be sold as fresh put in to the 5 A DAY remit."
The council has been carrying research into the issue and feels that fresh potatoes did not feature highly enough in the previous government’s Change4Life healthy-eating strategy and their role in offering vitamins and minerals as well as carbohydrates overlooked.
Jenney said that restructuring of Food Standards Agency functions this week could provide an opportunity for a rethink on the issue at policy level.
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