1. Background and challenges

1.1 Nutritional qualities

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables is a key factor in protecting against cardiovascular disease and epithelial cancers. Their richness in micronutrients, antioxidants and dietary fiber is largely responsible for these beneficial effects.

What's more, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption reduces energy density, a property strongly recommended in cases of excess weight.

Although fruit and vegetables are not a major source of energy in the diet (less than 5%), they are nevertheless one of the main sources of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other biologically active components. This protective effect could be explained by the action of several of these food components, whose individual and/or synergistic activities...