An astonishing 13.8million euros - some £11.7million - has been spent on research involving 200 scientists which found that 'two apples a day keep cholesterol at bay'.
Much of the money went on developing and promoting a green-skinned EU superhero called Mr Fruitness designed to persuade children to eat more fruit.
Last night critics said such examples of profligacy go to show that the EU should not be insulated from the kind of spending cuts that member states are making.
A spokesman for Open Europe, the Eurosceptic think-tank, said: 'ridiculous spending like this just goes to show that the EU budget contains plenty of fat that can be trimmed away.
'In these tough economic times, do we really need an EU-funded superhero to tell us that fruit is healthy?'
The multi-million pound project called IsaFruit lasted four years.
When the research was unveiled at a conference in Brussels, one of the 'major findings' was said to be the best way to reduce the risks of brown rot, a fungus which attacks many types of fruit.
Apparently the best technique for peaches is to dip them in water at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius for 20 seconds.
For apples, the temperature must be between 50 and 52 degrees Celsius.
The apple must be held under water for 40 seconds.
Scientists found that following these rules can reduce the risk of brown rot, as well as removing e coli and salmonella bacteria.
Another IsaFruit research project found that eating two apples a day can help reduce cholesterol by 10 per cent.
Researchers also 'focused on the development of new dried fruits and appealing products to increase fruit consumption among young people'.
The website set up to publicise Mr Fruitness - www.fruitness.eu - describes him as 'a superhero with special powers that come from the nutritional substances in fruit - vitamins and others; key components of an intelligent and conscious diet'.
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