Freshfel Europe has welcomed new European Commission proposals to provide schools in EU member countries with free fruit and vegetables.
The School Fruit Scheme aims to encourage healthy eating in children and cut soaring obesity rates across Europe.
The Commission confirmed yesterday that funds worth €90m would be made available to purchase and distribute fresh produce to the schools, with this figure matched by the member states that choose to participate in the programme.
Freshfel said that the scheme would help address major health concerns that the rapid increase in the number of obese children is generating for future society.
'A school programme would go straight to the core of the problem, namely eating habits of the youngest,' said Philippe Binard, general delegate of Freshfel Europe. 'A key objective of a school fruit and vegetable scheme should be to stimulate and increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables with a lasting effect.'
The School Fruit Scheme marks the latest step in the EC’s ‘Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity and related health issues’.
“This proposal shows we’re serious about taking concrete steps to fight obesity,” said Mariann Fischer Boel, commissioner for agriculture and rural development. “Giving kids good habits at an early age is crucial as they will carry these into later life.”
In addition to providing free fruits and vegetables, the scheme will see member states launching national educational initiatives to help reduce the number of obese children in the EU, a figure which currently stands at an estimated 5m, with a further 17m classed as overweight.
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