We have the worst – and the dearest – fruit and veg in Europe

Britain has the worst supply of fruit and vegetables in the EU, a new report claims, putting the UK on a par with Lithuania when it comes to the availability of fresh produce. The findings – which also demonstrate that British fruit and vegetables are among the most expensive in Europe – point to the failure of a series of government initiatives to increase our consumption of fruit and vegetables. The report, by Eurostat, compared the availability of a selection of fruit and vegetables in all the EU countries, and looked separately at pricing and production across the nations. Some in the industry believe the UK's supply of fresh fruit and vegetables is poorer than that of our European counterparts because our consumption is lower – shops will only stock what they can sell. "I can't believe that there is such a problem with... [read full story]