It’s happened to us all one way or another, the perfect looking fruit or veggies sitting on the shelves at your conventional supermarket that proves to be anything but when you get home. Red skinned tomatoes with green insides, vibrant strawberries that go mouldy or large golden onions that are rotten inside to name a few.
Over the past 50 years the perception of “fresh” has changed dramatically. Today “fresh” fruit and veg is likely to be several days old, possibly older as new technology can extend the shelf life of highly perishable items significantly. Whereas the produce we once bought from our local greengrocer was most likely delivered a day or two previously, even on that same day. The decline in quality has been so gradual, and paired with the use of chemicals to keep food “fresh”, it took us a few decades to become aware of it. Refrigerated transport enabled food to be transported across great distances, which meant seasonal produce could also be enjoyed year round, blurring the lines of seasonality and freshness.
At Flannerys our fruit and vegetables are freshly handpicked early morning and delivered to our shelves that same afternoon. Never frozen always fresh, delivered from the markets straight to our shelves! At Flannerys we focus on providing the freshest and highest quality products to customers. How can you ensure you get the freshest possible produce? The best way is growing your own, however not everyone has the time or wants to do this. Next on the list is Flannerys, where your product is sourced from Australia, picked fresh from the market and delivered straight to our shelves the same day.
Sophisticated modern chemicals manipulate the produce to further delay spoilage. The gas l-Methylcyclopropene (l-MCP) is used to inhibit the production of ethylene, a substance that promotes the ripening process. Fungicides such as sulphur dioxide may be used to prevent mould growth in fruits. Oxygen-carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere may also be manipulated to further delay spoilage. The mix of oxygen and carbon dioxide is constantly monitored and altered according to the produce in store or in the packaging. For example, a package of mixed salad could have 5% oxygen, 15% carbon dioxide, and 80% nitrogen to increase shelf life instead of “normal air”.
Choosing Certified Organic fruit and vegetables over conventional produce comes with a great deal of benefits, for your health and the environment. At Flannerys, all our fruit and vegetables are certified organic, which means they are grown without the use of harmful chemicals such as synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers about 60% of herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides to be carcinogenic. Certain fruits or vegetables may contain up to as many as 70 chemicals. According to the USDA pesticide data program Celery alone contains 64 chemicals and Strawberries 54. Organic fruit and vegetables are grown in organic soils to ensure the most nutrient rich fruit and vegetables are grown, better for your family and the environment.
To be truly organic, fresh produce cannot be available year round. Only an artificial growing environment, the application of chemicals or preservatives, or importing and transporting can guarantee year-round supply. Flannerys sources only organic produce with a focus on local growers. All our fruit and vegetables are sourced from Australia so enjoy the great tastes of fresh food made the way nature intended – in rhythm with the suns, the seasons and our planet.
When choosing fresh produce, let your senses help. Fruit and vegetables should feel firm, and look bright without any rot, and they should have a definite fruit aroma. Look out for waxing, or fruit and vegetables that appear glossy, waxing is regularly used by conventional supermarkets to make fruit appear fresher.