New research shows that the scheme under which school children are given free fruit may not bring long-term health benefits. A study published today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health questions the effectiveness of the scheme, which was launched in 2004.The idea of free fruit for pupils was first put forward in the government’s blueprint for the NHS in 2000 as a way of improving the diet of younger children in an attempt to reduce the risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease in later life. The scheme cost 42 million pounds to set up and has been given a further 77 million pounds to keep it operating.
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