Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 10, 1993                   TAG: 9305100114
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHICAGO                                LENGTH: Medium

PRODUCE INDUSTRY REMINDS US TO EAT OUR VEGETABLES

She works for the California Strawberry Advisory Board in Watsonville, Calif.

"We decided if we were going to profess something, we ought to practice it," she said Sunday at the Food Marketing Institute's annual supermarket industry convention.

So she and about 15 co-workers started a contest. For a month they kept track of the produce they ate. "And, lo and behold, it's not as easy as you think," said Chastain, who said she didn't win but did well.

The cancer institute and the Produce Marketing Association, a trade group, joined forces for a promotional campaign, "5 a Day for Better Health," to teach people the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables. They recommend at least five half-cup servings a day.

The average American eats just under 2 1/2 cups; by comparison, the average Canadian eats seven.

Many researchers and government health authorities say diets high in produce lead to lower risks for cancer, heart disease, obesity and other problems. But getting consumers who crave convenience to eat produce has not been easy.

Now, the produce industry, which tends to be fragmented, has one program it hopes will be as effective as the campaign for the beef industry. Consumers should start to see messages on packages, plastic bags and store signs.

One industry watcher said the consumer "wins big."

"I think when it comes to nutrition, everybody's confused," said Phil Lempert, who publishes The Lempert Report on grocery shopping and food. "We've finally come to the conclusion that if we work together to get some clarity, we'll all be better off."

Other people exhibiting produce at the convention said they already ate their share of fruits and vegetables.

"I do. I really do," said Beth Mahaffey of the Florida Tomato Committee. "I didn't grow up with a lot of snack foods."

"You bet I do," said Frank Flotken, merchandiser for Melissa's produce of Los Angeles. Even his grandchildren are eating more fruits and vegetables, he said.

It may seem a simple matter, but supermarkets and produce companies find the consumer needs a lot of help.

Frieda's Inc. of Los Angeles, one of the country's premier marketers of exotic and gourmet produce, sells its fruits and vegetables with labels explaining how to store and cook the food.

Even that's not always enough, and among the newer products in produce departments are washed spinach, new kinds of packaged salads, peeled carrots. It took the industry a while to catch up to the convenience market, said Timothy Cuniff, director of industry promotions for the Produce for Better Health Foundation.

Companies had to develop the technology to ship, package and store pre-cut produce.

Eight percent to 12 percent of a supermarket's sales are from the produce industry, which has $38 billion in retail sales a year, said Bill Coon, publisher of The Packer, a trade newspaper.

And the industry could adjust easily over the next several years to a doubling of consumption, said Brian Krieg, executive director of the Produce for Better Health Foundation.