It should on the whole be neutral. Whether consumers choose a healthy diet or not is a matter for them. Consumers should be able to make their own informed choices. Society has a responsibility to ensure that children are adequately taught about what constitutes a healthy diet, and that they have the appropriate cooking and budgeting skills. Insofar as the EU wishes to pursue the European Network of Health Promoting Schools project, there may be scope for EU funds to support UK initiatives.
Information campaigns can have an impact, albeit where people can afford to make healthy choices.
They should not however be linked to marketing campaigns designed to dispose of EU food surpluses, which should be scrapped. An over-arching review of health promotion schemes and education campaigns is needed to identify best practices that can be used in future UK and EU campaigns. Greater consumption of fruit, vegetables and complex carbohydrates would bring substantial reductions in the incidence of a number of serious diseases, and should be a priority. The quality of fruit and vegetables is best assessed by consumers in the market place, and by wholesalers and retailers reflecting consumer demands. The EU should not seek to make decisions on quality on behalf of consumers through the extension of quality standards for the marketing of fruit and vegetables.