PEOPLE SHUNNING FIVE-A-DAY ADVICE

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) found 58% of interviewees had eaten five portions or more the day before being questioned.

This was an increase from 55% of people eating five a day or more the previous year.

Consumption was higher in the higher social grades, with 71% of respondents classed in the AB category having eaten five or more portions the previous day. This dropped to 45% among respondents classed in the DE social category, the FSA's Consumer Attitudes to Food Standards report says.

Respondents in England were most likely to have claimed to have eaten five portions or more the previous day at 59% compared to 45% in Northern Ireland.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of women had hit or exceeded the recommended five a day compared to 54% of men.

The FSA's report is based on a survey of 2,627 people carried out between August and October 2007.

Fewer people were concerned about food safety issues such as additives, food poisoning and GM food than the previous year. But concern about food hygiene in supermarkets increased to 17% from 11% in 2006.

More than three quarters (78%) of respondents were aware they should be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

But the percentage of people worried about fat, salt and sugar in foods had dropped compared to 2006.