The Produce for Better Health Foundation, an industry-backed group, has released a report that says the government’s policies fall short of meeting public health needs.

The report says:

• The gap between dietary guidelines and consumption is growing, and the public health risks of low consumption are “substantial and avoidable.”
• Agriculture Department spending “contradicts the priority of fruits and vegetables” in the dietary guidelines, with spending “dominated” by meat while spending for nutrition education remains far short of levels needed to encourage substantial increases in fruit and vegetable consumption.
• The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control do not adequately address the role of fruits and vegetables in decreasing the risks of cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

“Federal fruit and vegetable spending overall needs to increase three-fold, from $3 billion to more than $9 billion, which still only represents a very small percentage of USDA and HHS budgets,” said PBH President and CEO Elizabeth Pivonka.

• Produce for Better Health Foundation – 2015 Gap Analysis