Tommy leighton, Editor, Fresh produce Journal

Amazingly, already two years have passed since the government launched its 5 A DAY initiative to the nation and, as you have been reading each month in this exclusive insight, progress has been very promising.

Coverage of the campaign has undoubtedly increased in the national media - and most of it has been positive. While it would an exaggeration to say that 5 A DAY has created the fervent passion for fruit and vegetables we all desire from our consumers, this is a long-term commitment by the government and the early rumblings of the bandwagon can definitely be heard.

As for the industry, it was undeniably tentative in its support at first, but the second year of activity has seen a whole raft of companies and organisations from different sectors come on board. There is still division in the ranks, however, particularly from some of the larger supermarkets who jumped the 5 A DAY gun and introduced their own versions of the concept in-store before the government plan was activated.

Does it matter whether the 5 A DAY message is entirely uniform though? Surely the fact that it is being put across to the public en masse is good enough. While there may be an element of truth in that, consumers are becoming increasingly confused by mixed health messages. And although it might seem trivial on the surface, the existence of more than one logo to represent this all-encompassing and vitally important message probably hinders the cause.

Elsewhere in the pages of today’s Journal, it is claimed that consumers are ignoring food scares because there are so many of them. The danger of course is that the same applies to the wholly positive messages that are being transmitted by the 5 A DAY campaigners. Some people may exercise their right not to support the government’s course of action, but the decision to plough an individual furrow might just dilute the collective cause.

Two years is a long time in politics. And the government has pledged a lot longer to 5 A DAY. Now that the links with the SFVS have been strengthened and the joined-up approach of the Departments of Health and Education are kicking in, it’s time that the fresh produce industry cemented a joined-up approach of its own.

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