Project co-financed by

Participating research organisations

• Nutrition Institute, Ljubljana
• University Medical Centre Ljubljana
• University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty
• Faculty of Health Sciences Celje

Financing

• Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS)
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food

Project leader

• Assist. prof. dr. Anita Kušar [SICRIS]

Project operation

1.10.2023 - 30.9.2026

Recent studies highlighted very low consumption of fruits and vegetables in Slovenia. Low self-sufficiency rates are observed for fruits and vegetables in Slovenia. Unbalanced diet is linked with health challenges. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables improves energy balance (reducing risks for overweigh/obesity) and is linked with other health benefits. There is strong evidence for protection against cardiovascular disease, and good evidence for decreased risk of various cancers. Fruits and vegetables are also an important dietary source of many essential nutrients (including vitamins/minerals) and other important dietary substances, such as dietary fibre, which intake is insufficient in 90% Slovenian adults. Consumers are decision-makers on point-of-purchase, and therefore a key factor for improving dietary habits in the population. While governmental activities are resulting in clear increasing trend of consumers’ preference for locally produced foods, food operators (farmers, food manufacturers and retailers) have very limited capability for explaining other benefits of their products. For example, the use of health claims on foods is very limited. To assure that claims are not misleading consumers, claims need to be substantiated with strong scientific evidence - randomised human intervention trials, and approved by the European Commission. Due to strict health claims requirements resulted vast majority (75%) of authorised health claims is referring to essential nutrients (mostly vitamins and minerals), while majority of health claim applications for whole-foods were rejected due to lack of evidence. Furthermore, even though consumption of fruits and vegetables is indisputably supporting human health, there are currently no authorised health claim for any of fresh fruit or vegetable (only one claim for kiwi fruit is in the authorisation stage). This means that food operators across the EU have no legal option, to inform consumers that consumption of fruits and vegetables is healthy. The only option available is the use of nutrition claims (for example: about the content of vitamin), and referring health claims to such essential nutrients, if the composition of food is well established. However, in the national food composition database data is missing/incomplete for several locally produced fruits and vegetables. Therefore, local fruits and vegetables are very rarely marketed with any claims, and food operators are relying to the health literacy and awareness in the population, even though this area is very poorly understood/investigated.

Abstract

The aim of the applied research project is to research the nutrition and health benefits of fruits and vegetables as important drivers for promotion and consumption of locally produced foods to achieve healthy diets. The identification of most commonly consumed fruit and vegetables within national representative food consumption data will be performed. Altogether, the consumption in adolescents, adults and older adults will be exploited. The list of most commonly used fruits and vegetables in Slovenia will be generated and in arrangement with co-financer foods from national scheme “Selected quality” will also be included. Further, the nutritional composition of most consumed fruit and vegetables will be investigated. Existing Slovenian food composition database will be enriched with new nutritional composition data from laboratory analyses of studied foods and shared to international databases. Health benefits of selected locally produced fruit and vegetables, with a focus into gastro-intestinal health, one of most common health issues in the population will be studied. A randomised intervention trial will be conducted using high standards of the European Food Safety Authority, enabling the use of evidence to substantiate new health claims. Investigation on consumer’s behaviour and preferences on fruits and vegetables, focusing into consumer trust and identification of obstacles and opportunities for increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, with focus to locally produced foods will be performed. Project results will support farmers and food producers to do more efficient promotion of local fruits and vegetables. Nutrition and health benefits of key locally available fruit and vegetables will be explored with consideration of regulatory food labelling requirements. We will prepare list of most attractive claims, that can be used by food operators for promoting purposes. Support to policymakers with evidence needed for efficient promotion to increase local production and consumption of fruits and vegetables will be enabled.

Project goals

The overall hypothesis of this 3-year applied research project’s is that nutrition and health benefits of fruits and vegetables can be used as important drivers for promotion and consumption of locally produced foods. Applying a highly multidisciplinary approach, we will
• (O1) use nationally-representative food consumption data to identify most commonly consumed fruit and vegetables;
• (O2) investigate nutritional composition and benefits of most consumed fruit and vegetables, including foods from national scheme "Selected quality";
• (O3) investigate health benefits of selected locally produced fruit and vegetables, with focus on gastro-intestinal health;
• (O4) Investigate consumer’s behaviour and preferences on fruits and vegetables, focusing on consumer trust and identification of obstacles and opportunities of increasing consumption of local foods;
• (O5) use project results to support farmers and food producers for more efficient promotion of local fruits and vegetables;
• (O6) support policymakers with evidence needed to increase local production and consumption of fruits and vegetables.