The document discusses low consumption rates of fruits and vegetables across Europe, highlighting a significant gap between current intake and the World Health Organization's recommended minimum of 400g per day. Despite awareness campaigns and policies aimed at increasing consumption, a variety of factors, including socio-economic status, age, and preferences, contribute to continued low consumption levels, particularly among lower-income groups. The text emphasizes the need for multifaceted approaches to effectively address and increase the intake of these essential food groups.

1. «Everyone is aware nowadays that it is advisable to consume
‘at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day’. Consumer
information is not the issue: it is necessary to ask oneself what other
factors are limiting consumption.»
How can
the consumption
of vegetables
in Europe
be increased ?
Increased consumption of fruit and
vegetables is a major issue for public health and is
the subject of nutritional recommendations throughout
Europe. Yet despite the policies which have been
implemented and the knowledge amongst consumers
regarding the virtues of fruit and vegetables, there is
no way of avoiding the fact: the majority of Europeans
do not follow the recommendations. In Europe, the
average consumption of fruit and vegetables is only
220g per person per day for adults instead of the
400g minimum recommended by the World Health
Organisation (WHO). What are the driving factors
behind this consumption and the obstacles to be
confronted and, most importantly, overcome? For
many years now, numerous measures have been
implemented throughout the EU in response to
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increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Without attempting to deliver a comprehensive
analysis, over the following few pages the Louis
Bonduelle Foundation will present an overview of the
consumption of fruit and vegetables in Europe… and
oday in Europe, six of the seven major risk factors regarding premature death in adults are linked to the way
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and vegetables is associated with these six factors. A revealing statistic: just 27% of European mothers consume
over 400g of these foodstuffs per day, in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Of course, this is only an average and there are wide va-
T
riations, not only between regions, with those in the south
showing better results than those in the north, but also in
terms of individual socio-economic status. Such variations
give an insight into the scale of the problem: there are
multiple determinant factors regarding the consumption of
fruit and vegetables and numerous obstacles. In order to
be effective, action taken to increase consumption must
work on several different levels at the same time.y
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YURI ARCURS - FOTOLIA.COM
suggest a few ways by which it might be increased.

2. Sustainable evolution
of eating habits
Observations Evolution of the level of fruit and vegetable
consumption
In the majority of countries in Europe, the average
daily consumption of fruit and vegetables has been calJSH[LK H[ N WLY HKS[ H ÄNYL ^OPJO PZ ^LSS ILSV^ [OL
WHO recommendations of 400g minimum [1]. For children,
on average they only eat 80g of fruit and vegetables per
day: it is estimated that only between 6% and 24% of them
reach the level recommended by the WHO. But behind this
average we observe a wide variation amongst EU member
states, and also within the various countries themselves.
FRANCE, AN AVERAGE PUPIL REPRESENTATIVE
OF EUROPEAN TRENDS
2001 saw the birth of the PNNS (national programme for
nutrition and health), launched by French authorities, and
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tion to “eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per
day” +H[H MYVT [OL ÄYZ[ 05*( UH[PVUHS PUKP]PKHS KPL[HY`
consumption) survey, collected between 1998 and 1999,
showed that about 60% of adults then consumed less than
two portions of vegetables and less than one-and-a-half
portions of fruit per day. Eight years later, the INCA 2 survey carried out between 2006 and 2007 shows that these
consumption levels have remained broadly stable in both
adults and children, although a slight increase in consumption by adult females was observed during the period. Vegetable consumption amongst the French has stagnated
at around 170g per person per day for adults and 100g for
children.
But although remaining broadly constant, vegetable
consumption demonstrates many different variability factors which are to be found in most European countries.
“It is higher in the south of France than in the north, rises
with higher levels of education and varies in line with age,
between generations, according to income, etc.”, explains
Lionel Lafay, the manager of the dietary consumption and
epidemiology monitoring unit at Anses (formerly Afssa), the
French agency for food, environmental and occupational
health and safety. Accordingly, the overall consumption
Nutritional intake from vegetables
amongst the French population
Due to their nutritional make-up, vegetables are a
weak source of calories and fat and make a significant
contribution to the intake of fibre and micronutrients.
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At the same time, they are the main source of betacarotene and vitamin B9 for both adults and children.
They are also one of the five main sources for B1,
B5, B6 and C vitamin intake in adults. And finally, vegetables are the number one source of potassium in
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for copper, iron, magnesium and manganese for both
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adult calcium intake.
As reported at the Louis Bonduelle Foundation Conference,
Paris, June 2010.
of fruit and vegetables varies between 280g and 700g per
person per day. This spread is mainly due to the variation
in vegetable consumption which is more pronounced than
for fruit, the end result being that one adult in two is in the
“low consumption” category (i.e. consuming less than two
portions per day, or 160g). Furthermore, while older people
(55-79 years old) consume on average 202g of vegetables
per day, young adults (18-34) consume about one-third
less (133g per day on average).
VARIATIONS BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES OF EUROPE
Let us now turn to the variations across Europe in fruit
and vegetable consumption. Dietary reports by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),
which present the observable total consumption of fruit
and vegetables, highlight the large differences
Recommendations are not always consistent across Europe
National recommendations for the
consumption of fruit and vegetables
vary considerably from one European
region to another. Many countries have
opted for a combined recommended
consumption of fruit and vegetables,
without distinguishing between the two,
of between 3-5 portions per day and
5-9 portions per day. On the other hand,
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some countries do differentiate between
fruit and vegetables. Whatever the situation, many countries, like France, lead
a national campaign to encourage the
consumption of fruit and vegetables:
“5-a-day” in the UK, “6 om dagen” in
Denmark, “5 am Tag” in Germany, “2 +
2 a day” in the Netherlands, etc. “However, target levels for fruit and vegetable
consumption in the national nutrition policies of certain Nordic and Western European countries are too low ”, bemoans
Laura Fernandez-Celemin, the manager
MVY ZJPLU[PÄJ HMMHPYZ H[ ,-0* ,YVWLHU
Food Information Council).
As reported at the Louis Bonduelle Foundation Conference, Paris, June 2010.
p. 2 - How can the consumption of vegetables in Europe be increased ?

6. DUTOURDUMONDE
between countries in the south of Europe, who show
high consumption levels, and the countries in the north
and east of Europe who have low consumption levels.
The EPIC study, carried out at 27 health centres spread
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consumption of fruit and vegetables is highest in Mediterranean countries and that the lowest consumption levels
are recorded in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, in both
men and women [2]. This north-south divide in Europe is
JVUÄYTLK I` [OL +(-5, Z[K` IHZLK VU OVZLOVSK WYchases [3]. However, consumption studies carried out in
the Scandinavian countries such as the Monica study in
Sweden [4], the AVTK survey in Finland [5] or the national
individual dietary consumption study in Denmark [6], show
an increase in the consumption of fruit and vegetables in
these traditionally low consumption countries. In the long
term, the north-south divide may shrink if this trend persists.
Furthermore, while the consumption of fruit and vegetables remains too low in most EU countries, this is
particularly true amongst the lowest income groups. For
example, the daily consumption of fruit and vegetables
for people at the lower end of the income scale in France
is just 2.1 portions (1.2 portions of fruit and 0.9 of vege-
A few consumption
statistics by country
In Poland, in adults the daily consumption of vegetables
amounts to 295g and 282g for fruit.
In the UK, the average consumption of fruit and vege[HISLZ MVY `VUN ^VTLU PZ WVY[PVUZ N WLY KH`
In Portugal, children consume 112g of vegetables per
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Spain and 80g in France.
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fruit and vegetables per day.
The average amount of processed fruit and vegetables
consumed is 26g per person per day in France, as
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As reported at the Louis Bonduelle Foundation Conference, Paris, June 2010, and the EGEA Conference in Brussels, May 2010.
tables, a total of 170g) [7], and is just below 2.5 portions
(200g) in the UK, where only 9% of young women follow
the recommendations [8].z
Determinants and obstacles
to the consumption of fruit and vegetable
“Everyone is aware nowadays that it is advisable
to consume ‘at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables
per day.’ Consumer information is not the issue: it is
necessary to ask oneself what other factors are limiting
consumption”, observes Prof. Pierre Combris. Experts
are beginning to understand these factors. Age, sex and
socio-economic status must be combined with other de-
terminants, such as food preferences, culinary knowledge and skill, and product accessibility. And without forgetting other personal factors such as time constraints,
personal values, the concept of a balanced diet or a lack
of control over one’s diet. Added to this are factors linked to the social environment such as other people’s
attitudes, social pressure or family mealtime ha-
How can the consumption of vegetables in Europe be increased ? - p. 3
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