India’s Phytonutrient Report

A Snapshot of Fruits and Vegetables Consumption, Availability and Implications for Phytonutrient Intake

Tanu M. Goyal‚ Souvik Dutta‚ Arpita Mukherjee

About the Book

IT is scientifically established that fruits and vegetables are essential sources of phytonutrients, which promote a range of health benefits. A pioneering study by the World Health Organization (WHO) on diet, nutrition and prevention of chronic diseases has recommended that a daily intake of at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables helps to prevent diet-related chronic diseases and micronutrient deficiencies.
India is one of the largest producers of fruits and vegetables in the world. It is also one of the largest consumer markets, with food and grocery having the largest share in the consumption basket. However, a number of studies show that Indian consumers do not consume the WHO recommended quantity of  fruits and vegetables. This report, based on secondary information analysis and a survey of 1,001 consumers across different states in India, tries to understand the production and availability of fruits and vegetables, consumption patterns, extent of shortfall in consumption, reasons for shortfall, implications of such shortfall for consumer health and well-being, among others. It also highlights policy issues related to food safety and standards, use of pesticides, organic products, food supply chain, foreign investment in retail, food pricing, and food supplements and nutraceuticals, among others.

The book lucidly explains the conceptual framework of public sector economics as a whole. It delves deep into the political economy of public expenditure with the evolution of the theory and philosophy of states and the different phases and stages of expansion of the roles and functions of public policy in general and public expenditure in particular in economic and social affairs of the nations. Thus, the book goes beyond the narrow confines of political and economic theories and furnishes an inter-disciplinary framework of analysis of the role of public expenditure in growth of economies and welfare of the people.

The uniqueness of the report is that on the one hand, it will enable the businesses to understand the production and supply chain of fruits and vegetables and the policy environment; on the other, they will have a complete knowledge about Indian consumers.