Fruit is often absent from children's diets

Children have been receiving Grab Five! bags, containing fruit and vegetables in a pilot scheme in Plymouth, run by the food and farming campaigners Sustain.

Alongside the five pieces of fruit is a snack, made by sponsors, food firm Ambrosia, which contains sugar and colourings.

Sustain, the body which started the Grab Five scheme, believes this sends out a mixed message to children.

Sarah Walker-Smith of the Plymouth Public Health Development Unit has been liaising with Sustain on the project.

Ambrosia was brought in because the scheme was short of cash

She said: "All the evidence is that children need one message, and it needs to be consistent.

"If you give them a choice they will take the sweet product and we want them to eat the fruit and veg."

In Plymouth, Business in the Community has been running the scheme on behalf of Sustain.

Supermarkets have been donating fruit and veg, but a shortage of cash led to Ambrosia being brought in to help fund it.

Business in the Community gave Ambrosia permission to add its own snack, but Sustain was so concerned it is scrapping the pilot project.

Alan Terrell of Business in the Community said: "We had to fund this campaign. It's slightly disappointing it wasn't picked up by other organisations.

"I'm afraid it is a mixed message, but it is not something we are too worried about."

Ambrosia said it was invited to support a highly successful education programme in primary schools.

Business in the Community said it was planning to continue the scheme, with or without out the support of Sustain.