EU expands project to encourage schoolchildren to consume fresh produce

The European Commission’s project to ensure children have access to fresh fruits and vegetables continues to expand. In 2018/19, the Commission assigned €145.6 million for the scheme. In 2017/18, 20.2 million secondary, primary and pre-school children participated in the programme, which saw over 255 million kilos of fresh fruits and vegetables distributed to schools. Germany had the largest number of participants, followed by Poland, Romania and the UK. In Belgium and Germany, the scheme only involves fresh products, while in the other countries, a small percentage of products are also processed, including juices and soups.