ONE of the Government's major health policies was in disarray last night after it was revealed that people in the North-East are ignoring a campaign to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Figures released today by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) suggest that Britons are eating fewer portions of fruit and vegetables, not more, despite a high-profile Government campaign.

It is particularly depressing news for the North-East, which has the lowest percentage of people who eat the recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables.

Instead of eating nutritious fresh produce, they are eating more unhealthy foods containing high levels of saturated fats and sugars.

The official figures, obtained from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), is a blow to the Government's ambitions to persuade people to eat more healthily.

It shows that, in 2003-04, fruit and vegetable purchases were 1.6 per cent lower than in the previous year.

The survey of family food expenditure also shows that the energy derived from fat, saturated fatty acids and non-milk sugars is also slightly up.

The latest figures, from the Association of Public Health Observatories, show that only 16.6 per cent of the North-East population reach the recommended level of fruit and vegetable consumption, compared with the national average of 23.6 per cent.

This is a long way off the 27 per cent of Londoners who eat their daily allowance, and considerably lower than the figure for Yorkshire and Humber (21.6 per cent).

The figures come after five years of campaigning in the North-East.

Darlington and the Durham Dales were among the first five-a-day fruit and vegetable promotion pilot schemes set up in England in 2000.

The CIEH, which holds its annual conference today, said the Government should consider increasing VAT on unhealthy foods, advertising healthy foods, banning unhealthy food advertising aimed at children, and reintroducing school cookery classes. It also wants to see straightforward food labelling, including the identification of unhealthy foods.

Jenny Morris, CIEH policy officer, said: "The statistics show a reduction in fruit and vegetable consumption, which is very disappointing given the Government's high-profile five-a-day campaign.

"We need to challenge the Government to show real leadership to address key issues such as food advertising and the availability and affordability of healthier food."

But Roselle Oberholzer, food and health manager for the Public Health Group North-East, said the region had the highest uptake for a national scheme that provides four to six-year-olds with free fruit every school day.

She said that a survey of 1,300 children in Easington, east Durham, showed that their fruit and vegetable consumption had increased and fat and sugar consumption had reduced.

"We know there is a lot more work to be done, but this is a step in the right direction," she said.

Dr Becky Lang, public health specialist at Teesside University, said the drop in fruit and vegetable consumption was very worrying.

She said: "There are more initiatives than ever in place, particularly in the North-East, but you need time to evaluate how well they are working.

"It could be a blip or the last year when fruit and veg consumption is down. I imagine next year it will be better."

She praised TV chef Jamie Oliver's criticism of poor school meals and predicted this would have a beneficial effect on schools and parents.

Yesterday, the Morrisons supermarket group revealed that sales of fresh produce, including fruit and vegetables, was increasing year on year.

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