Not many companies involved with fruit and vegetables have spent £1 million advertising their wares on the TV. Neither has there been a concerted TV campaign to educate children in the benefits of healthy eating.

McDonald’s announcement that it intends to do both before the summer is out should be viewed as excellent news for this industry. While the multiple retailers and their suppliers have all spent vast amounts of money promoting fruit and vegetables as part of their offers, in various forms of media, there is a danger that their messages become too diluted. Almost without fail, the nutritional value of any product is drowned out by the price-driven sign-off to most TV ads for supermarkets.

The oft-demonised hamburger chain is coming at it from a different angle. Yes, McDonald’s wants to promote its restaurants and all the products within them. But it also has another agenda which, while undoubtedly self-serving, has potentially far greater implications and is likely to succeed.

McDonald’s wants to be seen as offering healthy options - something the multiple retailers have always been recognised for. Kids all round the world have been hooked by the McDonald’s brand for years, so there is a very good chance they will at least listen to the campaign’s advice and eat McDonald’s fruit.

The promotion of fruits and vegetables should centre not only on the fact that they are good for you, but that they are fun and enjoyable. Here too it appears McDonald’s has struck the right chord. The nation’s diet, and fruit and veg sales, should benefit.