The government is going back to the drawing board after admitting its 5-a-day targets are not being met.
Defra Secretary of State Hilary Benn has set up a roundtable between his department, industry, retailers and shoppers in response to falling domestic production and criticism that the 5-a-day campaign was not raising consumption of fruit and vegetables. The group met for the first time two weeks ago.
Currently the average UK intake of fruit and veg is just 2.8 portions a day a shortfall causing health problems estimated to cost the NHS £6bn a year.
More than 60 attendees at the meeting proposed initiatives including: naming a pilot city or region for targeted campaigns to raise consumption among those who ate the least fresh produce; extending the school fruit and veg scheme; and developing a fresh produce voucher scheme for low-income and at-risk groups.
On a production level there were calls for the government to cut red tape and ensure public procurement supported UK growers. Defra said it would translate the ideas into firm commitments at subsequent meetings.
Attendees agreed that the 5-a-day message had sunk in but more needed to be done to get consumption rising again.
"Although the 5-a-day message has got through, consumers say there is a need for the next stage how to achieve eating 5-a-day," said NFU chief horticultural adviser Philip Hudson.
"The campaign has been broad-based so far and something more targeted is needed."
Ways to give consumers in deprived areas more access to fruit and veg should also be found, Fresh Produce Consortium chief executive Nigel Jenney said.
Both the NFU and FPC praised the government for engaging with industry but said an over-arching strategy and working group should be established to guarantee tangible results.
"We need to look at the issues and find solutions quickly," Jenney said. "This shouldn't be just another panel that delivers nothing."
Defra Secretary of State Hilary Benn has set up a roundtable between his department, industry, retailers and shoppers in response to falling domestic production and criticism that the 5-a-day campaign was not raising consumption of fruit and vegetables. The group met for the first time two weeks ago.
Currently the average UK intake of fruit and veg is just 2.8 portions a day a shortfall causing health problems estimated to cost the NHS £6bn a year.
More than 60 attendees at the meeting proposed initiatives including: naming a pilot city or region for targeted campaigns to raise consumption among those who ate the least fresh produce; extending the school fruit and veg scheme; and developing a fresh produce voucher scheme for low-income and at-risk groups.
On a production level there were calls for the government to cut red tape and ensure public procurement supported UK growers. Defra said it would translate the ideas into firm commitments at subsequent meetings.
Attendees agreed that the 5-a-day message had sunk in but more needed to be done to get consumption rising again.
"Although the 5-a-day message has got through, consumers say there is a need for the next stage how to achieve eating 5-a-day," said NFU chief horticultural adviser Philip Hudson.
"The campaign has been broad-based so far and something more targeted is needed."
Ways to give consumers in deprived areas more access to fruit and veg should also be found, Fresh Produce Consortium chief executive Nigel Jenney said.
Both the NFU and FPC praised the government for engaging with industry but said an over-arching strategy and working group should be established to guarantee tangible results.
"We need to look at the issues and find solutions quickly," Jenney said. "This shouldn't be just another panel that delivers nothing."
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