Is the abolition of VAT on fruit and vegetables coming?

Promote healthy nutrition: abolition of VAT on fruit and vegetables

There is no doubt that herbal diet is good for your health. Experts usually advise eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. But by no means all Germans do this. It could possibly help if such foods are cheaper. Therefore, the request of the consumer organization foodwatch, which demands the abolition of VAT on fruit and vegetables, is to be welcomed.

Healthy fruits and vegetables

Last year, a survey showed that German fruit and vegetable consumption is stagnating. The herbal diet is enormously important for the health. For example, it is known that the risk of stroke or myocardial infarction is lower the higher the consumption of vegetables and fruit. If such foods were cheaper, more people would probably use them more often. One measure to make fruits and vegetables cheaper is the exemption from VAT, which the consumer organization foodwatch now demands.

The consumer organization foodwatch demands from the future federal government the abolition of VAT on fruit and vegetables. The price reduction could contribute to a healthier diet. (Image: travelbook / fotolia.com)

Cheaper vegetable foods

An international team of researchers published a study last year that suggests a price cut on fruit and vegetables could prevent thousands of deaths each year.

The researchers argue that these foods lower the likelihood of various cardiovascular diseases, but are too expensive for many families. If they were cheaper, they would be consumed by more people.

The consumer organization foodwatch has now asked the future federal government to free fruit and vegetables from VAT on the occasion of the "Jamaica" exploratory talks. This should promote a healthy diet - especially for children.

Abolition of VAT on fruit and vegetables

"There are numerous disincentives that unnecessarily complicate a healthy diet: advertising, which already treats little children to sweets, incomprehensible nutrition labeling, and last but not least, prices," foodwatch CEO Martin Rücker said in a statement.

"It is high time to facilitate a healthy diet with tax policies - that's a good reason to recommend the World Health Organization," said the expert.

"If the Jamaican coalition wants to seriously promote healthy eating, then they must act consistently. The VAT on fruit and vegetables must be abolished. That helps people and health policy goals alike, "explained Rücker.

Many children feed themselves wrong

Malnutrition and obesity are a serious problem, especially in children. Obesity alone causes about 63 billion euros in follow-up costs every year in Germany.

15 percent of children in this country are overweight, six percent even obese, ie obese - they face diseases such as diabetes, joint problems, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Compared to the 1980s and 1990s, the proportion of overweight children has increased by 50 percent. The most important reason for the overweight problem: children feed themselves wrong.

According to a comprehensive study by the state-run Robert Koch Institute (RKI), children eat too little plant-based food - especially vegetables, fruits, bread, potatoes and other carbohydrate-rich side dishes.

At the same time, most children eat too much meat and sausage and with increasing age generally too many high-fat animal foods. And above all, children consume sweets, snack foods, sugary cereals and sodas in far too large quantities.

This is also due to parents who underestimate the sugar content of foods. (Ad)