5 A DAY is failing to make a positive impact on vegetable consumption but fruit is on the rise, according to latest figures.
Fresh produce leaders are now calling for better vegetable promotion, following a report by the Institute of Grocery Distribution, which showed, while fruit consumption is up 3.8 per cent since the official launch of 5 A DAY, vegetable intake has fallen by 2.1 per cent.
According to the IGD’s Food Consumption report, over a third of people who do not eat vegetables said this is because they require too much effort.
Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD chief executive said: "What people want is to be able to grab something and eat on the go. Shoppers want convenient food."
Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium said it was a real concern for the industry: "I wouldn't necessarily agree with all the report’s figures, but broadly speaking it is a worrying trend.
"The perceived resistance to eating vegetables is something the industry should be combating by focusing on products that lend themselves to snacking and convenience."
He said the fact that vegetable production was largely UK-based puts the onus even more starkly on growers here to respond to their changing environment.
Another potential problem for the veg sector could be the bias towards fruit within the government's National School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (NSFVS).
Jenney said: "Fruit lends itself more to snacking. You're not likely to snack on a cauliflower in the afternoon."
He said carrots are included in the scheme and there are other vegetables being trialled, such as cucumbers, with plans to expand the vegetable offer. But he admitted: "Vegetables are not really considered within the snacking remit."
This is backed up by a recent study into the NSFVS, which showed 72 per cent of pupils liked fruit a lot, while only 37 per cent liked vegetables a lot.
Only one per cent of children said they did not like fruit, while 18 per cent of youngsters said they did not like vegetables. When it came to carrots, 25 per cent of the pupils said they did not like the root crop, a figure only beaten by pears and tomatoes, with 33 per cent expressing a dislike.
Bananas are the most popular fruit, with 84 per cent of children in the scheme expressing a liking for the fruit, closely followed by strawberries on 79 per cent and apples on 71 per cent,
Jenney believes the emphasis for vegetables needs there needs to be within the school meal occasion: "It's essential we influence youngsters through the school lunch. The government is looking to promote healthy eating generally in schools and we think its important vegetables are available within the mealtime occasion to promote their consumption."
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