Ireland’s own award-winning ‘Food Dude’ programme provided part of the inspiration for the EU School Fruit Scheme and the EU has contributed €500,000 for 2009/ 2010 in co-funding. The programme is designed to give the children an opportunity to repeatedly taste a variety of fruit and vegetables and prizes are given to promote on-going self-motivated healthy eating practices. Over 300 schools and 45,000 children will participate in the programme this year.

Healthy eating practices are necessary to combat the current high levels of childhood obesity evident in Ireland, and across the EU. It is estimated that there are 22 million overweight children in the EU The World Health Organisation says obesity is one of the greatest public health challenges in the Twenty First Century.

For further information please see here
https://www.eumatters.ie/Ireland-and-the-EU/Consumers-and-Health-Issues.aspx