The UK’s National Farmers Union (NFU) has said that retailers have a responsibility to ensure store layouts and labelling are conducive to getting consumers to eat more fruit and vegetables.
The group has outlined 34 ‘Options for Action’ in its recently published Fit for the Future report, including multi-siting fruit and vegetables in more places in stores, redesigning food service areas to offer more prominence to them, and developing fun-shaped fruit and veg options for kids.
The recommendations, based on a wide range of international studies and initiatives, have been proposed to help reverse the obesity crisis currently facing the UK, as well as increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
The report highlights that the ‘food swamping’ of healthy produce – or crowding them out with less healthy foods – and increasing consumer ‘decision fatigue’ are two of the major stumbling blocks in increasing fruit and veg consumption.
The NFU therefore, recommends making fruit and vegetables available in multipacks, snack packs, with lunchtime meal deals, alongside ready meals and even at the checkout – in other words, throughout the store and in various different formats.
NFU President Meurig Raymond commented, "At the moment, although most people understand the reasons why they should eat more fruit and veg, consumption simply isn’t increasing and this has to change.
"We are calling on all parts of the industry and government to work with us and to implement initiatives that will drive consumer purchases."
The full Fit for the Future report, as well as the 34 Option for Action can be read here.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jenny Whelan. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
