Fine Gael Senator, Neale Richmond, has welcomed the commencement today of the EU healthy eating campaign aimed to increase the share of healthy food in the diet of young people.
“This funding is crucial in tackling poor diets of children across Ireland and this is the first of six years of funding we will receive which is a direct intervention to make healthy fruit, vegetable and dairy more accessible for all.
“The funding will be used not only to provide fruit, vegetables and milk to schoolchildren but also to support learning about agriculture and healthy diets as well as information, monitoring and evaluation.
“Its goal is to not only improve diets but to instil in children healthy eating habits that will lead to healthier outcomes and a long term improvement in their diets.
“This program is run under the Food Dudes Healthy Eating scheme and is evidence based incentivised behaviour changing programme which was developed by the Food and Activity Research Unit, Bangor University, Wales.
“It is managed by Bord Bía, the Irish Food Board, and was first rolled out in Ireland in 2005. It is funded by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine Ireland and receives an EU financial contribution under the EU Fruit and Vegetables Scheme.
“This program is positive step by the EU in ensuring our children eat better and since 2011 there has been a near 50% increase in the number of children eating fruit daily who had taken part in the program.
“The original Food Dudes Programme was completed in 2014 having reached 477,423 school children and 3127 schools (95% of all primary schools in Ireland) and I am confident that with this latest round of funding over the next six years we will see this improved healthy approach to eating a balanced diet continue to increase with every child in Ireland benefiting.”