Peak horticulture organisation Growcom remains alarmed that Biosecurity Australia has agreed to allow bananas to be imported from the Philippines due to their concern of a risk of diseases such as Moko, Black Sigatoka and Freckle to the Australian banana industry. Chief Advocate Mark Panitz said that he was not confident that the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) could adequately protect the industry under the terms required by the Import Risk Aanalysis (IRA) due to the nature of these... ...Read more »

Karpati Water, a Sydney-based company, has come up with an innovative way of producing high quality drinking water from fruit. The method utilised in making water from fruit incorporates the process of making fruit concentrates. Fruit concentrates are typically made from steaming the fruit, with 3 out of 4 litres ’steamed’ off to make the end product. Karpati Water, however, is made from a ‘pressure-chilling’ process, which reportedly retains the high quality fruit water and makes... ...Read more »

Rules governing the size and shape of fruit and vegetables will be consigned to history after European Union Member States yesterday voted on Commission proposals to repeal specific marketing standards for 26 types of fruit and vegetables. The Commission claims the initiative is a major element in its ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify EU rules and cut red tape. For 10 types of fruit and vegetables, including apples, strawberries and tomatoes, marketing standards will remain in place. But... ...Read more »

Scientists have discovered a new possible explanation for why people who eat more fruit and vegetables may gain protection against the spread of cancers, potentially leading to the creation of improved functional foods. They have found that a fragment released from pectin, found in all fruits and vegetables, binds to and is believed to inhibit galectin 3 (Gal3), a protein that plays a role in all stages of cancer progression. “Most claims for the anticancer effects of foods are based on population... ...Read more »

International media reports have cast doubt about the safety of certain fruit and vegetable products exported from China including Chinese mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce. There are concerns some may be tainted with melamine, the toxic chemical at the centre of the ongoing Chinese milk scandal. Food Standards Australia and New Zealand this afternoon released a statement outlining that no products in Australia have been found to be affected but further tests were being carried out. “Australia... ...Read more »

Australians are combating the increased living costs with ‘tactical shopping’; buying seasonal fruit when it’s at its best price and buying in bulk, according to the results of the Australian Pears Consumer Fruit Index. The Consumer Fruit Index polled more than 1100 grocery buyers throughout August on behalf of the Australian pear industry. It discovered that 83% of Australians have noticed an increase in the cost of fruit and vegetables over the past 12 months, with 80% believing... ...Read more »

Super-premium juice has emerged as a small but dynamic part of the American beverage marketplace, according to a new study from the Beverage Marketing Corporation titled “Superpremium Juice in the U.S.: The Impact of Superfruits and Antioxidants“. The super-premium sub-segment includes fresh packaged juice, which is 100% (or very close to 100%) fruit juice that is bottled in single-serve containers and shipped fresh rather than reconstituted from concentrate or chemically preserved. These... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited announced yesterday that they will consolidate their Victorian SPC Ardmona operations. The announcement follows a comprehensive review of its SPC Ardmona operations in the Goulburn Valley, which was initiated “in light of the continued impact of the drought and the need to better manage the Australian fruit intake”. The review determined that there is excess capacity in the Shepparton and Mooroopna plants in the Goulburn Valley and, consequently, the deciduous... ...Read more »

A new report from independent market analyst Datamonitor has revealed that UK consumers are eating more fresh fruits and vegetables to meet their “five a day” target. Between 2002 and 2007, the annual consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in the UK increased from 93kg per person in 2002 to 113kg in 2007, and Datamonitor forecasts this will increase to 123kg in 2012. The 21.5% increase in consumption rates is indicative of the success of the “five a day” message... ...Read more »

The European Commission yesterday proposed to establish a European Union-wide scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to school children. European funds worth €90 million every year would pay for the purchase and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools, and this money would be matched by national funds in those Member States which chose to make use of the programme. The Commission has already created a ‘Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity and related... ...Read more »