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Britain: the worst - and the dearest - fruit and veg in Europe
United Kingdom
Thursday 10 July 2008
The findings, which also demonstrate that British fruit and vegetables are among the most expensive in Europe, point to the failure of a series of government initiatives to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
The report, compared the availability of a selection of fruit and vegetables in all the EU countries, and looked separately at pricing and production across the nations. Some in the industry believe the UK's supply of fresh fruit and vegetables is poorer than that of our European counterparts because our consumption is lower, shops will only stock what they can sell.
The British Retail Consortium disputed the findings saying there is no problem with access to fresh food, and in any UK supermarket there is a full range of fruit and vegetables at all prices. Food retailers promote and discount fresh fruit and vegetables extensively, giving people access to healthy, affordable food.
The high cost of fruit and vegetables in the UK might be putting people off. British produce, both imported and home-grown, was found to be among the priciest in Europe, with France, Spain, Italy and Germany all enjoying cheaper prices.
The report, compared the availability of a selection of fruit and vegetables in all the EU countries, and looked separately at pricing and production across the nations. Some in the industry believe the UK's supply of fresh fruit and vegetables is poorer than that of our European counterparts because our consumption is lower, shops will only stock what they can sell.
The British Retail Consortium disputed the findings saying there is no problem with access to fresh food, and in any UK supermarket there is a full range of fruit and vegetables at all prices. Food retailers promote and discount fresh fruit and vegetables extensively, giving people access to healthy, affordable food.
The high cost of fruit and vegetables in the UK might be putting people off. British produce, both imported and home-grown, was found to be among the priciest in Europe, with France, Spain, Italy and Germany all enjoying cheaper prices.
