I have always agreed with researchers who find consumers would like more detail on packs.

The latest example of such conformity to this request indicates that imported fruit may be moving more in this direction, with Sainsbury’s Bing cherries at £2.99 for 200g. They are labelled as coming not just from Chile, but Patagonia - a source which if I am right was “discovered” about five years ago.

Closer to home, there is even more information on the fresh & naked brand of baby leaves stocked at Tesco, which includes identification of individual packers.

Some information may be a little harder to countenance. With plenty of stonefruit available from the southern hemisphere, Marks & Spencer has turned to Argentina for white flesh peaches at £2.99 for four.

The aim is also to “pick the fruit on the sunniest side of the tree”.

It has also been driving a slogan already known in the food industry, with its complete £4.25 for 450g snack pack branded “Graze Your Way to 5 A DAY”. The pack contains cucumber, grapes, apples and carrots (each 18 per cent), a berry compote (eight per cent) and humous.

“Snack berries” is also a description which rolls off the tongue, and the format is boosting blueberry sales at Asda, where it is being sold for 87p for 80g.

Meanwhile, a price war seems to be building as mangoes win more shelf space.

Sainsbury’s is selling large fruit in its garage forecourt outlets, stickered with a dual Mix & Match and Buy One Get One Free label at £2. Just down the road, Asda is offering a bulk pack from the same source - Peru - at £3 for seven.

Despite last week’s FPJ report that the UK cauliflower crop has been decimated, there does not yet appear to be a shortage on the shelves.

With the rest of the continent to draw on, Tesco is stocking Extra Large French heads at £1.98 each, and Spain is also in evidence.

If all else fails there are other alternatives; years ago, the supermarket flew in the crop from California to plug the gap.

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