Fruit and vegetables still remain a flagship line in the multiples, but the definition of what is on sale has become blurred over the years with the arrival of prepared snacks, salads containing protein, fresh-cut produce and lines that wouldn’t look out of place on a delicatessen counter.

Now it seems that the gardening sector is getting in on the act at Tesco, where the interest in grow your own has led to several living plants being on offer near the salad section.

Veg U Grow packs on an “any three for £5” offer include red and green peppers and two types of chilli peppers, red Cheyenne and orange Cayenne.

Back in the slightly more ordinary world, attractive multi-coloured lemon and lime packs at £1 for four stand out well at Morrisons. Primofiore lemons from Italy sit alongside Brazilian limes.

Meanwhile, there is more evidence that while the term “fresh” is the key concept, this can now come in many forms. At Asda, there is a message that its bananas, priced at 79p/kg, are “Fresh Every Day”. This is intriguing, as the product has to travel long distances by sea in its green state and is then ripened in the UK to varying degrees of maturity selected by the retailer, before it reaches the store.

While one of our most popular fruits, I wonder how many customers still put their bananas in the fridge? Perhaps only once, as they go black! Years ago, I had a job helping make dummy rubber hands of bananas for greengrocers to hang outside their shops when there was frosty weather!

However, Morrisons is still not leaving anything to chance, as its bagged fruit is carrying a green and yellow “Best Kept” roundel with the message “store at room temperature”.

In the same vein, Sainsbury’s is using catchphrases on its apple packs. While there is no doubt that English Cameo has been a success story, priced at £1.99 for six, it has now been elevated to bearing the definition of a “timeless favourite”.

More to the point, Waitrose is continuing to stress the “ready to eat” message on its netted Brazilian melons, at £2.29 each.

And if customers read the small print on 65p Essex-grown cucumber halves at Budgens, they will find the news that recycled produce peelings can be used to make compost - just right for grow your own.

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