The government wants to strengthen food education to encourage eating healthier and based on fresh products

According to Minister Delegate Olivia Grégoire, food education is both an “issue of equal opportunities”, “public health” and “purchasing power”.

Educate to eat better. The government wishes to strengthen the food education of the French, and in particular of children, to encourage a healthier diet based on fresh products, declared Tuesday March 5, the Minister Delegate in charge of Business, Tourism and Consumption, Olivia Gregory. Food education is both “an issue of equal opportunities”, “major public health issue” And “purchasing power”she argued.

For the moment, if no concrete measures are yet on the agenda, the executive says it wants to work on “amplify and reinforce the action of those who are committed to food education at school”a subject which often depends on the goodwill of elected officials and local actors, announced the minister.

15-24 year olds in the spotlight

Olivia Grégoire spoke on this subject during the publication of a survey on the subject, conducted by Harris Interactive. According to its deputy director, Jean-Daniel Lévy, young people indeed have consumption patterns and perceptions of food “radically different” of the rest of the population. The results of the study, carried out online on February 20 and 21 with a sample of 1,058 people representative of the French population, 59% of 15-24 year olds eat at least once a month in a restaurant establishment. fast food, compared to 37% for the entire population. 45% of them also go to a themed restaurant at least once a month (pizzeria, creperie, Japanese, etc.), compared to 31% for the entire population.

While 81% of French people eat fresh fruit and vegetables several times a week, only 66% of 15-24 year olds eat fresh fruit and 72% eat fresh vegetables. On the other hand, 44% consume processed meals several times a week, compared to 23% of the population as a whole. Half of the young people questioned cite the price as an element justifying the consumption of prepared meals, although they are often more expensive than cooking yourself. And 22% cite alleged beneficial effects for health (compared to 17% for all French people) of these dishes, “often fatter, sweeter, saltier”recalls Olivia Grégoire.