We know we should eat more fruit and vegetables. The problem is most of us still aren’t.
The WHO recommends at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables (about five portions) every day. Yet only one in eight Europeans currently meets these recommended levels.
That gap matters. Unhealthy diets are a major modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases, responsible for more than 1.8 million deaths in Europe every year. The question is: how do we make healthy diets easier to access, afford and choose?
Too often, the conversation around healthy eating focuses on individual behaviour. Information and education matter, but people make choices within the food environments around them. Price, availability, and affordability are all major factors.
The WHO recognises this. Its recommendations include ensuring healthy and nutritious foods are available in schools and other public institutions, alongside clear nutrition information, including front-of-pack labelling.
Fiscal measures can also play an important role. Removing VAT on fruits and vegetables would make healthier choices more affordable, and there is clear public support: 84.5% of Europeans support doing so.
Unhealthy diets are a major modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases, responsible for more than 1.8 million deaths in Europe
There is no single intervention that will close Europe’s nutrition gap. But these recommendations share an important objective: making healthier choices easier.
The opportunity hiding in public procurement
One of the clearest ways to do that is directly in front of EU policymakers.
Millions of meals are served every day in schools, hospitals, and other public institutions. Public procurement is therefore one of the most practical tools to improve access to fruits and vegetables.
The European Commission acknowledges this in its new Public Procurement Act. Its dedicated article on food recognises nutritional value, health effects, freshness and seasonality. That is an important step forward. So too is the move towards a best price-quality approach.
But recognition is only the beginning. The question is how to translate it into measurable change.
Sound nutrition policy sets the goal, smart procurement puts healthier food within reach
Fortunately, Europe does not need to start from scratch.
The Commission’s Joint Research Centre has developed practical criteria for healthier public food procurement, including offering fresh fruits and vegetables every day and, for 24-hour catering, at least five portions.
These measures can influence what ends up on millions of plates. Yet they remain voluntary. The JRC itself points to the limited uptake of voluntary procurement criteria.
From voluntary criteria to mandatory minimums
As the European Parliament and Member States advance negotiations, they should build on the Commission’s recognition of nutrition by introducing mandatory minimum requirements for fruit and vegetable provision in public meals, drawing on the criteria already developed.
Europe does not lack evidence of how to improve diets. The WHO has set out the health imperative and recommendations that can help. The Commission has recognised nutrition in its proposal. Its own researchers have developed practical criteria for putting more fruits and vegetables on the menu.
Public procurement is therefore one of the most practical tools to improve access to fruits and vegetables
The task now is to connect the dots.
Sound nutrition policy sets the goal, smart procurement puts healthier food within reach, and everyday choices turn that access into better health. When those three work together, healthier habits move from possible to practical.
If Europe is serious about closing its nutrition gap, the millions of meals already served every day in public institutions are one of the clearest places to start.
Political Advertising by International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)
This political advertising is designed to present the sponsor’s views on the Public Procurement Directive.
Full transparency notice: https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/ifpa-october-2026.htm
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Source: www.theparliamentmagazine.eu
