Mr. Mike Neary:

In terms of convenience, all of the consumer trends we see in Bord Bia suggest that dashboard dining is very common. People have less time and they are going into shops and grabbing something quickly. Whether healthy food is at the top of their minds when they do this is the question. The grocery market in Ireland is worth about €10 billion a year, and €1.5 billion of that is spent on fresh produce. Bord Bia is most interested in the fruit and vegetable element of that. We are told to aim for a diet which includes five or seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and frozen vegetables or canned vegetables count towards that. It is probably cheaper than the fresh product and is more convenient. It comes down to choice and education; it is still possible to have a healthy diet at a low price, although perhaps not as low as would suit people.

We have seen a huge growth in the amount of washed, diced and prepared produce on the supermarket shelf now. This contrasts to the loose product in that one just opens the pack and the product can be used straight away. However, as Dr. McCrory says, it tends to be a little bit more expensive, so one pays for the convenience. The products are there, but it comes back to the consumer's wish to buy it. It comes down to education. It must be said it gets more difficult to change behaviour or change habits as we get older. Can we change the habits at a young age, and try to carry that through life? That is a big challenge. It is a choice. People go into supermarkets and make a choice to select healthy, convenient products, with price also factored in. It will be a challenge going forward. Many products available now are marketed as innovative products and many companies are bringing out health-related food products, be it gluten free, high in fibre or high in certain vitamins. That ties into the fact that consumers want a healthier diet, but it comes down to the convenience and affordability of same.