IT IS coming up to the time of year when the shades of autumn herald the changeover period for many fresh produce lines.

The fact that pears are looking short certainly bodes well for the English Conference and Comice crop, and doubtless the gap has not been lost on the Dutch, who have marketing down to such a fine art that the former variety is now available virtually year round.

It will also be interesting to see how summer fruit has performed when a line is drawn under this year’s season. One of the wettest of Julys on record appears to have dampened the public’s ardour for the usual winners, such as melons.

Soft fruit, compared to last year, is still very much of a stop/start affair. Even the cherry sector appears not to have escaped entirely unscathed as Turkish supplies dried up earlier than was expected.

One area of continuing interest, touring the high street multiples, is the way that packaging is being used to emphasise products, and usually create added value.

Currently Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range is a case in point, particularly as far as stone fruit is concerned.

Both large sized Dolores peaches and sweet Zephyr nectarines are arriving in specially moulded plastic trays, priced at £1.69 for three, (pictured right). In addition, the growers Chanbel and Bariel are also being given credit on the label.

In the same store, while the concept might not be entirely new, South African Sundowner apples (pictured left) were being packed not in polybags or trays, but a soft netting, a material which is not usually widely associated with top fruit.

Consumers might be forgiven confusion, however, if they more than glanced at the source. This is down to the Sundowner label including a kangaroo, which identifies the Australian origin of the registered variety, meanwhile there was a far smaller roundel proclaiming South African Golden Delicious - a reference to an on-going generic campaign.

The fruit was also linked to a promotional offer with a chance to win a case of South African wine, plus a £10 discount when either apple variety was purchased.

Potatoes too have had a facelift at Marks & Spencer, with a new 400g microwaveable potato pack for 99p (pictured above).

The Maris Pipers look good, fresh and bright. But the secret lies in a sachet that heats up inside the bag, which means the packaging does not have to be pierced as is common with most microwaveable products.

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