Bananas ripen and turn yellow-black before I get home from the supermarket. Mangoes develop unsightly spots as I wash, dry and store them. Tomatoes get mushy and even the hardier carrots look scruffy in a few days.

Fresh and inviting in the store. Wilted and sad at home. Fresh produce become un-fresh, and spoil at an unbelievable speed. Taste is usually a hit or miss. I buy fruit and vegetables for my mum on a weekly basis from four supermarkets in the KLCC area. And, it’s the same complaint every time. It’s frustrating when they cost more than produce from the farmers’ or wet markets or mobile vendors. Unfortunately, there are very few such traders in the city centre.

My mum has always maintained that today’s produce is ‘handled’ or ‘treated’ to look fresh and wholesome. She is convinced that either the growers, shippers or supermarkets or whoever else is in the supply chain is responsible for the sub-standard mangoes, papayas, bananas and guavas she has to content with – week after week. So different back in her day when fruits and vegetables were given the opportunity to grow and ripen naturally. No premature plucking. No pesticides. No refrigeration. They were organic, pure and delicious. Why then bother with the current crop? She’s a vegetarian. I can’t remember when she last ate eggs or meat. And, she needs her fibre.

My mum is not far off base with her suspicions and deductions. According to the grocerystoreguy.com, “Truth be told, most fruits are not as fresh as you think. By fresh, we mean: just been harvested. The reality is that they are often harvested in large quantities and then preserved over time, and are gradually offered in the stores and supermarkets. In some cases, they’re chemically treated to keep them looking fresh[1].

The article goes on to state that apples usually are waxed to boost their appearance and slow deterioration. Sometimes, apples even get coated in a soy-protein mixed with pullulan (a polysaccharide polymer). Some fruits are actually preserved for up to 6 or 12 months. 

It gets worse.

‘Quality is further compromised when fruit is picked before it’s fully ripe to make it easier to store and transport over long distances. And varieties are often chosen more for ease of storage and transport than for flavour[2].

This article also says that research on making food last the distance points out that after harvest, produce is chilled as soon as possible to slow down the deterioration process.  Controlled-atmosphere storage and packaging – with lower levels of oxygen and higher levels of carbon dioxide than normal air – further slowdown deterioration[3]. What this means is when there is less oxygen and more carbon in the air, fruits like apples become sleepy and don’t have enough energy to complete the ripening process.

I know advances in technology are used to preserve produce like peaches, grapes, brussels sprouts and carrots from all over the world. How else can they survive the long journeys, be available all year-round and manage to look perky, at least whilst at the supermarkets?

But I didn’t know this. A chemical called 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is used to extend the storage life of some fruits and vegetables even more. The chemical blocks some of the biochemical changes that occur as fruit ripens and matures. Tests show the fruit remains hard. 1-MCP also prevents production of chemical compounds that contribute to flavour. It’s used extensively for apples, and increasingly for other fruit, such as avocados and melons[4]. Hmm…

Another thing, fruit is often sprayed with fungicides to prevent mould; imported fruit and vegetables may be fumigated with methyl bromide to comply with quarantine regulations[5].

So, what to do?

Despite the chemical and temperature make-overs, fruit and vegetables are valuable components of our diet. The 5-A-Day and all that. They are still safe to eat, I think. Maybe not as packed with nutrients as real organic produce or that grown in your garden.