Walking the shelves this week looking for new products, sources, packs and anything else that records the march of fresh produce retailing, I was joined by a curious shopper, writes David Shapley.

At the end of the tour there were two questions that might evince an answer from our supermarket-buyer readers if they have time to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboards.

The first is while English growers are being identified by name on the pack, why is the same courtesy not extended to overseas suppliers?

And the second is why are some bananas shrink-wrapped, and others still presented in loosely fitting polythene bags?

A case now, I believe, of watch this space for the answers.

Back to the shelves I was interested to see at Marks & Spencer that arguta, or as it is now becoming known baby kiwi, has made another appearance, although it looks nothing like its big cousin.

It’s not that the fruit is new - I seem to remember seeing it about four years ago elsewhere, after which it disappeared. Maybe a renaissance is on the way.

This particular batch came from France and was priced at £1.99 for a 100g pack linked to a ‘save-a-pound’ promotion on any two lines marked tropical fruit.

While concentrating on fruit, I was intrigued to read of citrus trials in South Africa for Sainsbury’s which have produced a gratsuma - a cross between a grapefruit and a satsuma. However it may be some time before there is any volume in-store as it is reported there are only 15 trees in production.

Who knows, by that time we may have a lemon that tastes like an orange and an orange that tastes like a lemon - topping the stories that used to come out of Russia that scientists had produced apple trees that grew pears and vice versa.

The UK top-fruit season may have started some weeks ago, but there are still a few early varieties around. In this instance I refer to Waitrose’s offer of Suffolk Pink which was actually grown in Kent. I can’t wait to see what new arrivals will be on display at the National Fruit Show at Detling next month.

When it comes to salads the permutations to mix and match seem endless.

M&S is presenting 300g of mixed red and yellow Santini tomatoes at £1.99 to some effect, on a specially designed free-standing island site which can be moved around the store and linked with other foods.

But what really caught my eye was a new cherry tomato snack pack at Tesco for 49p for 100g (left).

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