Christmas has come around as quickly as ever and there is an inevitable focus on the wide range of festive lines aiming to tempt the consumer’s palate.

With much produce nowadays available all year round, it is harder to get a seasonal point of difference.

However, Sainsbury’s 180g of Taste the Difference Seasonal Fruit Salad would be appropriate at any time of the year.

Currently, alongside a plastic fork, it contains apple (36 per cent), orange (22 per cent), plum (17 per cent), grape (11 per cent), dried apricot and cranberry (eight and six per cent respectively), but no mention of source.

Christmas is also a time when dates come up on consumers’ radars, reflecting how times have changed since the only offer was the traditional Tunis glove box, packed in Marseilles.

Israel is providing Marks & Spencer with a pack of Medjools, where the contents are displayed like eight luxury chocolates, with a price to match of £3.99.

“Ready to eat”, or its equivalent, is a message becoming more prevalent, but what was just as interesting was the information on the lid proclaimed they were “Perfectly ripe”.

Waitrose is taking the guesswork out of Brazilian Piel de Sapo and yellow Honeydew melons (£2.99 and £2.29) at present, as they carry the message round the fruit on a ribbon.

While tradition dictates shopping over the next week or so, tropical fruit is getting a boost at Tesco, which has applied the logic of carry home bulk packs of citrus to mangoes. Even if the 2kg carton appears rather drab, anyone who enjoys the taste can get eight fruits for £4.50. The variety and source are Maya from Brazil.

Shelves may be full of English and continental apples at present, but the US is still holding its own in the organic section at Waitrose, where it is hoping to boost awareness of its Gala pre-packs with a two-pronged competition offering a chance to win one of three iPads and one of 30 smoothie makers.

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