The apple industry innovated with new star varieties and compact, vertical orchards that pushed production up, keeping costs low for shoppers. Americans responded with a collective shrug.

“We’re getting better and better at what we do, but consumers are eating less and less of our product,” said Julie DeJarnatt, vice president of marketing and brand strategy for Chelan Fresh, a major Washington fruit grower.

Fresh apples per capita availability, adjusted for loss — the USDA’s approximation of consumption — was 8.8 pounds in 2021, down 11.3% from 20 years prior.

Declining consumption is a problem for many fruits, which impacts industry and the nation’s health.

Commodity groups and other organizations are trying to reverse the trend and boost grower returns.

Little to no fruit intake

A growing portion of Americans regularly eat little to no fruit on a daily basis, according to a new USDA Economic Research Service study.

About 40% of adults and 29% of children fall into that category and most likely get fruit as ingredients in other foods, such as blueberries in a blueberry muffin.

The average American also eats roughly 20% less fruit than when consumption peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The drop is largely due to people drinking less citrus juice, while fresh fruit held steady.

Frozen fruit has made gains in the past 20 years, while canned and dried fruits drastically waned.

Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice products counted as fruit for the study, conducted between 2005 and 2020.

The Consumer Price Index for all items increased more significantly during that period than many fruit products — consumption fell as fruit became relatively more affordable.

Researchers determined household income and prices may influence food choices but play less of a role than behaviors such as smoking or exercise, concern for health and knowledge of a healthy diet.

Compared to 50 years ago, however, people are eating slightly more fruit.

Apples the top fruit

Despite apple’s fresh segment decline, they were the nation’s top fruit in 2021, the latest year data was available, at nearly 27 pounds per person. That was floated by the equivalent of 15 pounds in apple juice, up 10.3% over 20 years.

Overall apple consumption dipped roughly 1% from 2001.

Oranges were America’s second choice for fruit and the top mark in juice with 16.6 pounds (1.9 gallons) per person, but that dropped 56% from 2001.

Bananas were the nation’s No. 1 fresh fruit for 2021 at 13.2 pounds per person, good for third overall. Consumption of tropical fruit surged 61% since 1970.

Grapes were fourth, followed by strawberries, pineapple and watermelon.

Non-citrus fresh fruits, particularly berries, saw consumption growth between 2001 and 2021, according to USDA data.

World market for berries

Berries’ rising demand isn’t entirely being met by domestic fruit, however.

“One of the reasons that berry and berry consumption has gone up is the year-round availability of fresh berries, and that does come from imports for part of the year,” said Darcy Kochis, Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission administrator.

“It is very much a world market for berries,” Kochis added.

She encouraged residents to support local farmers by inspecting packaging. Frozen raspberries and blackberries labeled as grown in the U.S. are primarily from Washington and Oregon.

More room to grow

Kasey Cronquist, U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council president, said the situation is nuanced and foreign imports aren’t necessarily bad.

Some major U.S. growers also have outposts in other countries, for example.

“I would caution the assumption that one thing hurts the other thing. It’s a lot more complicated than that,” he added. “Domestic growers can’t meet the demand of consumers year-round.”

Blueberries, for example, aren’t a year-round crop in the U.S., but consumption and demand increase with year-round fresh availability.

While fresh blueberry consumption skyrocketed more than 600% from 2001 to 2021, it remains relatively low at 1.86 pounds per person, according to USDA statistics.

The blueberry industry, which wasn’t even tracked in 1970, still is in the early stages of development, Cronquist said.

“There’s a lot more opportunity to grow. A lot more,” he added.

The blueberry council is pursuing an assessment increase to raise demand.

Marketing makes a difference

Food choices often come down to health perceptions and convenience, said Timothy Delbridge, an Oregon State University economist.

People eat healthier at home but more meals are eaten on-the-go than ever before, he added.

With their small size and portability, berries are more “snackable” than other fruit. Research on health benefits of specific berries have boosted the segment, which saw a frozen sales rise during the pandemic, experts said.

“The blueberry and strawberry industries have done a great job in marketing their products and promoting them as a healthy part of our diets,” Delbridge said.

Marketing campaigns can increase consumer demand and bring large returns on investments.

“The commodity groups in the Pacific Northwest, along with their national marketing boards, certainly know this and are working hard to make sure people are thinking about getting more fruit into their diets,” Delbridge said.

Eat More Apples campaign

DeJarnatt, of Chelan Fresh, founded the Eat More Apples campaign, which is about one year old.

The industry-wide effort includes nearly 250 growers so far and aims to create a nationwide marketing push.

The campaign will focus on wellness messaging including apples ability to promote weight loss, immunity, hydration, energy and heart and mental health.

DeJarnatt said the apple industry is in crisis from a profitability standpoint, so growers shouldn’t face another assessment.

She’s hoping for grants and donations from businesses, industry partners and other organizations.

The campaign’s voluntary nature and unconventional funding make it slower paced than similar promotions, however.

A pilot project with four online influencers is planned for the winter.

“They’re going to educate people with the truth about apples,” DeJarnatt said.

Surveys will determine if they moved the needle, including by introducing viewers to new recipes and apple varieties.

Proof of concept will unlock the ability to pursue major donors.

Needing major players’ help

DeJarnatt said Eat More Apples could inadvertently benefit other fruit segments. But there’s also a sense of competition as other commodities that are feeling the same pressure.

Potatoes, avocados and watermelons are just some of the produce segments that have grower assessments to boost demand.

Ultimately, instead of fruit and vegetable commodities battling each other, more work on consumption trends should be done by overarching industry partners and the federal government, DeJarnatt said.

Organizations and agencies sometimes focus on exports and global markets, government affairs or food safety, which all are important, she said.

“We very rarely see people trying to drive consumption by talking to consumers and that’s what we’re trying to do here,” DeJarnatt added.

Health impacts

Nutrition experts also are concerned about Americans eating very little fruit.

Emily Ho, director of OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute, said those who meet dietary guidelines for fruit and other foods have lower risks for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, age-related cognitive decline and cancer.

Those with decreased fruit intakes miss out on vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, which humans need, as well as plant-derived chemicals that may also be beneficial. Even a half-cup reduction showed negative nutrient declines in adult women.

“We’re already seeing a lot of sick people in the United States,” Ho said.

About 50% of the U.S. population has some chronic disease and in 10 years, predictions show older adults will outnumber those 18 and younger for the first time. Problems will skyrocket, potentially overwhelming the health care system.

“The aging tsunami is definitely coming,” Ho said.

Combating misinformation

Ho said concerns about sugar in fruit and juice have potentially led to consumption declines, but those worries were misplaced.

“It’s really the added sugar in our diets that are more of a health concern, not the natural sugars present in fruit,” she added.

Evidence of 100% fruit juice contributing to diabetes risk and obesity is limited, Ho said.

DeJarnatt said so-called health experts have attacked produce in various ways, such as avocado for having fat or potatoes for their carbohydrates.

“There’s just an abundance of misinformation out there that we generally, as an industry, haven’t done a good job combating,” she added.

Processed snacks, pesticides

Another problem is heavily processed food and snacks “masquerading” as fruit servings, she said.

“You don’t get the same health benefits, fiber and nutrient density that way,” DeJarnatt said.

“It’s maybe better than what another food option was, but it’s not the same as eating your whole fruit and vegetables,” DeJarnatt said.

Added sugars also mask the true flavor of fruits and vegetables, which make it harder for children to appreciate natural foods, she added.

Produce also is attacked for pesticides and other chemicals, even though it’s generally washed to remove residues during packing.

Consumers especially concerned about chemicals can switch to organic or rinse fruits at home as an additional safety measure, said Patrick Solverson, assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at Washington State University.

Set up for failure

Solverson said the U.S. has the best and safest food system in the world.

The most calorically dense, delicious and affordable foods tend to have the least nutritional value, though, and many Americans feel they’re simply trying to make ends meet.

“I think we live in a day and age where we’re set up for failure,” Solverson said.

He also found a glimmer of hope in the recent USDA report.

“The projections, they’re worrying, but the silver lining is there’s 25% of folks meeting dietary requirements,” Solverson said.

And fruit industry groups are trying to increase that figure in the coming years.

Fruit consumption

Pounds in 2021 (change from 2001)

All fruit — 108.9 (down 19%)

Fresh fruit — 58.1 (up 8.2%)

Fresh non-citrus — 49.4 (up 9.5%)

Fresh citrus — 8.7 (up 2.4%)

Fruit juice — 38.9 (down 38%)

Non-citrus juice — 20.4 (up 4.1%)

Citrus juice — 18.5 (down 58%)

Canned fruit — 7.9 (down 40%)

Frozen fruit — 3.3 (up 10%)

Dried fruit — 0.7 (down 61%)

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