At least half the apples being sold in Britain could be up to a year old, because the foreign varieties we eat are being stored in a way that prevents them ripening as they are shipped to the UK, the Daily Mail reports.
Asda has admitted that some varieties of apple it sells as fresh were actually picked between six and 12 months ago, while Tesco and Sainsbury’s have been using the practice for more than a decade.
Only a third of the apples eaten in the UK each year are grown here, the others are imported from as far away as New Zealand and Chile and have to be transported to the UK by sea. Untreated, they would ripen too far and lose nutrients, as well as their crunch.
Soon after being picked, the crops are placed in chilled warehouses with a modified atmosphere that prevents ripening.
The system, known as SmartFresh, halts the release of ethylene, a chemical produced by fruit and vegetables when they ripen. It is being used in around 40 countries on everything from pears, plums and apricots to kiwi fruit, tomatoes and avocados.
The technology, developed in the US in 1997, revolutionised storage techniques and has been used increasingly by growers to extend the life of produce, reduce waste and make seasonal crops available all year.
Experts are divided over the benefits of the method, which was approved by the EU in 2005. Some research shows that fresh fruit and vegetables still lose nutrients as a result of the long time they spend in storage.
The Food Research Program of Canada found that levels of antioxidants and vitamin C in apples could decline. Consequently, shoppers may – without realising it – be missing out on the full benefits of eating what appear to be fresh fruit and vegetables.
However, research from the US and China shows that treating produce such as apricots and tomatoes using SmartFresh not only prevents the fruit deteriorating but also helps them to retain higher levels of nutrients such as lycopene.
Adrian Barlow, of English Apples and Pears, said that the technology allows shoppers to enjoy fresh apples all year round.
‘There is always debate about the extent to which stored apples lose nutrients,’ he said. ‘The results are inconclusive and the level of antioxidants in apples can vary greatly anyway, so it is not something consumers should worry about.’
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