UK consumers are still trying to eat their ‘five-a-day’ of fruits and vegetables despite having to contend with the recent rises in food costs.
According to a survey by Defra, potatoes and fresh fruit have been the biggest casualties in terms of purchases of fresh produce, with many people looking to grow their own in gardens and allotments. However, a recent survey by Mintel found that almost half of those interviewed (46 per cent) said they tried to eat the recommended quantity of fresh produce, although half said it was hard, a figure which rose to 57 per cent amongst the 25-34 year old age group.
Mintel also forecast that sales of fruit and vegetables will rise to almost £19 billion by 2019 from a current figure (including potatoes) of around £16 billion. “Rising prices are expected to remain the main driver of value growth, though the impact of weather on crops continues to create an added element of uncertainty,” noted Kiti Soininen, head of UK food, drink and foodservice research at Mintel.
