Fruit and Vegetable Expenditure

In 2008, each person in the UK spent an average of £4.11 per week on fruit and vegetables (including fresh, frozen, processed & dried) for household consumption. This equates to around 16% of the total weekly expenditure on all food and drink (including soft drinks, alcoholic drinks and confectionery) consumed within the home. However, volume has been in decline so much of the expenditure increase has been driven by price rises.

Household purchases of fruit and vegetables fell by 4.3% in 2008 and are now 5.4% lower than 2005-06. Fruit prices rose 7% in 2008 and vegetable prices rose 8%. Consumers’ main response to the higher prices was to buy less fruit and to trade down to cheaper vegetables. These responses suggest that consumers see vegetables as more of a necessity, and fruit as more of a luxury.

Household purchases of fruit & vegetables

Fruit and vegetable purchases increased during the seventies and eighties. After that point, growth remained fairly static with some increases around 2005. Awareness of the 5-a-day message, which was launched in 2003, was at this point gaining momentum.

In 2008 in the UK, each person bought an average of 2,317 grams of fruit and vegetables per week, the equivalent of 298 grams per person per day, allowing for 10% wastage. This represents 74% of the 5-a-day target and works out as approximately 3.7 portions per person per day. In 1975 purchases were 60% of this benchmark target, equivalent to 3.0 portions per day.

Household purchases of fruit and vegetables

Graph showing household purchases of fruit and vegetables

Source: Family Food in 2008

About 3% of fruit and vegetables entering the household in 2008 came from free sources, mainly gardens and allotments.

Quantities of fruit purchased for the household were highest in England and lowest in Northern Ireland. Quantities of vegetables (excluding fresh and processed potatoes) purchased for the household were highest in Wales and lowest in Northern Ireland.

Within England, household purchases of vegetables (excluding fresh and processed potatoes) were highest in the South West and lowest in the North West, while purchases of fruit were highest in London and lowest in the North East.

Fruit purchases

However, the trend of increased fruit purchasing has not been felt across all categories. Fresh bananas and other fresh fruit have been strong drivers of growth, whereas fruit juices, more popular than it was a few years ago, have suffered a slight decrease recently.

Apple purchasing has fallen, with apples being replaced by bananas as the most popular fruit
Purchasing of bananas has grown 150% from 1978 to 2008. Popularity could be due to their convenience, year round availability and consistent quality
Citrus fruits have seen a decrease of 6% between 1978 and 2008. However within this, oranges are the reason for the decline while other citrus, including easy peelers, have increased. This demonstrates the convenience motivator
While fruit juice purchasing has slowed down recently, its fivefold growth from 1978 will have been driven by demand for convenience products (fruit juice is easy to drink ‘on-the-go’) as well as innovations in packaging and flavours
Consumption of other types of fresh fruit has increased since 1970s, probably reflecting the wider selection of fruits now available. Big drivers within this are melons and grapes which have grown fivefold and sevenfold respectively

Trends in Fruit Purchases

Graph showing Trends in Fruit Purchases

Source: Family Food 2010 (Figures to 2008)

Vegetable Purchases

While fruit enjoyed strong growth in purchasing from the 1970s, vegetable purchases have, during the same time, seen a fall.

Fresh green vegetables have steadily fallen over the last four decades with a decrease of 49% between 1978 and 2008. Within this, only salads have experienced growth (33%). Overall, the decrease will have been mainly driven by the fall in cabbages (73%) and Brussels sprouts (79%)
Purchases of other fresh vegetables are up 20% on 1978. Within this there have been some winners and losers. Purchases of traditional vegetables such as carrots and other root vegetables have fallen, while pre-packed products such as stewpack and stirfry packs have grown slightly
Processed products grew between 1978 and 1998 but have since fallen. In this category, tinned or bottled tomatoes have grown by 42%