Much has been done to communicate to consumers why they should eat more fruit and vegetables, and there’s no doubt that most people have an understanding that fruit and vegetables play a vital role in tackling diet-related disease.
But it turns out that information is not enough. The evidence in a new report commissioned by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) suggests that initiatives such as the 5-a-day campaign in the UK have failed to engage the general public in eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables. Not only that, but the study highlights the fact that fruit and vegetable consumption is actually in decline.
In the report, titled ‘Fit for the Future’, the NFU has set out clear options for action aimed at government, retailers, foodservice providers and producers, so each can play their part in increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables, thereby delivering commercial growth for the UK farming sector while also helping to improve consumer health.
Commissioned in December 2015, the NFU was looking for a comprehensive study to determine the constraining and enabling factors that influence UK consumption of fruit, vegetables and potatoes.
The report considers attitudes towards fruit and vegetable consumption against a backdrop of global and national public health initiatives such as the Public Health Responsibility Deal, 5-a-day campaign and the newly published Eat Well Guide.
Horticulture and Potatoes board vice-chairman Ali Capper says: “We believe the UK horticulture and potatoes sector has never been as important as it is today. Growers of fruit, vegetables and potatoes are in prime position to offer consumers fresh, delicious and, most importantly, nutritious foods that are unrivalled in their role of improving consumer health.
“Numerous studies have shown that when individuals increase their fruit and vegetable consumption, this can result in lower mortality rates and is critical to combatting obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and many other diet-related illnesses.
“Furthermore, the commercial value of the UK horticulture and potatoes sector cannot be underestimated.
“Today, more than 4,000 UK growers produce around nine million tons and over 300 types of fruit, vegetable and potato, contributing around £3 billion to UK GDP and employing tens of thousands of workers every year.
“It is particularly worrying, therefore, that since 2007, fruit purchases have fallen by 14%, vegetables by 5% and fresh potatoes by 20%,” continues Capper.
“Furthermore, the impact of public health initiatives [PHI], such as the UK 5-a-day campaign on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption on a sustained basis remains modest.
“Taking in-home food waste into account, average consumption per capita is still only around three portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
“Eating habits are changing, with less emphasis on the traditional three meals a day, giving way to more focus on food that is ‘ready to go’, convenient and supports a ‘grazing’ lifestyle.
“The concept of consumers ‘shelf grazing’ in retail stores is demonstrated with the increase in shopping for food a number of times a week and only 18% of UK households planning their meals for the week ahead.
“The increase in grazing is a particular issue for vegetables, which are most commonly eaten during evening meals – often a time of day when people choose to eat a meal replacement.
“Therefore, food choices at this time may be an important factor that reduces total vegetable intake. Arguably, the fruit and vegetables sector has not kept up with this changing environment,” Capper says.
“With relatively fewer ‘convenient’ fruit and vegetable offerings, ‘food swamps’ have developed, crowding out fruit and vegetables not only in terms of the fruit-and-vegetable-to-snack-food ratio on retail shelves, but also in terms of fast-food outlets and the swamping of nutrient-rich food choices by energy-dense alternatives.
“The World Health Organization [WHO] and the Commission for Ending Childhood Obesity [ECHO] have said, ‘Childhood obesity should not be seen as a result of lifestyle choices by the child. Government and society have a moral responsibility to act on behalf of the child to reduce the risk of obesity’,” she adds.
Though consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of a healthy balanced diet, the Deparment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reports that, in 2014, UK sales of fruit were 14% lower, vegetables 5% lower and fresh potatoes 20% lower than in 2007.
Compared with the government’s recommended intakes, sales of fruit and vegetables equate to around four of the recommended 5-a-day – although this does not take into account in-home food waste, which, at around 22% for fruit and vegetables, would mean that average consumption is actually closer to three portions a day.
By contrast, nearly three times as much food and drink high in fat and/or sugar was purchased (22%) compared with the Eat Well plate percentage of 8% of daily consumption.
While the landscape with regard to enabling fruit and vegetable consumption is nuanced and multifaceted, these numbers are particularly worrying given the focus many healthy eating campaigns have put on fruit and vegetables, and the important role they play in the diet.
When the 5-a-day campaign was first launched in 2003, the government’s ambition was to reach five portions a day for the whole of the UK population by 2015. The figures show this is still some way from being achieved, but Capper believes the situation can change.
“Enabling UK consumers to increase their consumption of fruit and vegetables pulls together a wide range of studies and practical initiatives that have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in the short and long term.
“From educational programmes that embed their teachings right through the school cantee, to developments of convenient fruit and vegetable options that have seen sales soar, and evidence around product placement, space allocation and in-store messaging that all enable consumers to eat more healthily without having to make wholesale cultural changes, increases in consumption of between 12% and a staggering 200% have been achieved.
“Furthermore, nearly 50 organisations, including major retailers, foodservice providers and public sector institutes have made a pledge, under the government’s Public Health Responsibility Deal, to ‘do more to create a positive environment that supports and enables people to increase their consumption of fruit and vegetables’.”
Such optimism is shared, she says. Jamie Oliver, who has campaigned tirelessly for better food in schools, has said, “I believe that, in our lifetime, we can shift the dial on the epidemic of childhood obesity. But in order to realise this, we need a moment of change, and I believe that moment is now.”
“In implementing and developing the Options for Action in this report, government, retailers, foodservice providers and producers will be able to contribute significantly towards this goal by enabling consumers to eat more fruit and vegetables, and realise the health benefits that it brings.”