While the multiples obsess about promoting value for money on their fresh produce shelves, there remains an ongoing battle to project their reputation for quality.

One of the best recognised campaigns has been the Marks & Spencer TV adverts. Now there appears to be a move towards reinforcing this image by using independent opinion. This week, I came across a shelf barker at M&S proclaiming the results of an independent taste test on Chilean Gala, priced at £1.89 for four.

The test, organised at the Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association, scored the apples eight out of 10. It would be interesting to know how other varieties fared.

So far, so good. But what is more confusing is that, apparently, an Evening Standard vote on Piccolo cherry vine tomatoes, retailing at £1.99 for 250g, scored three out of three, which appears to an altogether different benchmark.

Another way to build recognition and confidence, of course, is the endorsement of producers themselves, with the result that not only do names and faces appear on packs, but they have also been featured on posters.

It seems there is a move to provide ever more information. One example is “freshly prepared” Hampshire watercress at Tesco, at £1.10 for 88g. Additionally branded as a superfood, it comes from Alresford, the heartland of the industry, which at one time even had its own train to take product to London markets.

These days are in the past, but customers can still learn a great deal about grower Sean Ede though a potted history on the bag and even the opportunity to visit his farm online as part of the traceability story.

There is always something going on at the bagged salad counter and, to their credit, designers are now coming up with some good work that simply and clearly tells customers what to expect.

Sainsbury’s, for example, has a French-style salad at £1.59, although I bet that if the consumers at Campden & Chorleywood had to guess what it comprised from the description, everyone would come up with different ingredients. But the fact that there is a large, depiction of escarole, raddichio, fine frisée and lamb’s lettuce on the bag makes it reasonably clear to the semi-trained eye.

Mixing varieties together of course extends across the produce range, with mushrooms and tomatoes being some of the best examples. The concept has now spread to onions, seen in Tesco’s 50-70mm organic range at 90p for 500g. It provides a truly international assortment, with the browns coming from the Netherlands and the reds from Egypt.

Soft fruit and stonefruit still dominate the summer shelves, but among all the peaches and nectarines there are obviously still customers who enjoy greengages. It used to be a fruit very much associated with the English, although our sourcing now comes from France and Spain, for £2.99.

And finally, at M&S I see a new fruit salad has been introduced, at £3.49 for a punnet, which includes cherries alongside melons, strawberries and watermelon. It must be one of the first times this stonefruit has made an entry into the fresh-cut arena. Now I suppose it will be a question of watch this space.

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