Healthy food shows further growth in UK

Compared to estimates from the previous year, the survey revealed that household expenditure on fresh fruit increased by 2.7 per cent and on fresh vegetables by 2.8 per cent (excluding potatoes).

Wholemeal bread expenditure increased by 24.2 per cent, while white bread sales decreased by 6.6 per cent.

The department's Family Food Expenditure 2004-5 report is the latest in a series of annual Defra reports recording estimates of food and drink purchases in the UK.

Family Food Expenditure presents the latest emerging trends in purchases and eating habits by type of food and nutrient content.

For example, the report showed that alcohol consumption at home was down by 3.7 per cent. When consumed outside the home, alcohol was also down by 7.3 per cent.

Sales of semi-skimmed milk meanwhile were up by 8.9 per cent, while household purchases of liquid whole milk dropped by 18 per cent. Total purchases of fats and oils decreased by 2.3 per cent.

Yoghurt and fromage frais purchases were 6.1 per cent higher, while ice cream purchases fell by 8.7 per cent. Mineral water purchases rose by 6.2 per cent.

Britons therefore, appear to be eating more healthily. This is just as well. Less than half of the British population does enough exercise to meet the government's recommended 150 minutes per week, according to Deloitte's Health of the Nation' report, published at the end of March.

What's more, almost 14 per cent of Britain's children were obese in 2003, compared to 9.6 per cent in 1995, and doctors have warned half of the countries kids could be obese by 2020.

Consumers are therefore more aware than ever of the need to eat properly. And as the recent Vitafoods conference showed, food firms are equally aware that they must provide healthier solutions.