There’s no sign that produce retailing is running short of new descriptions to tempt customers, particularly when applied to the ever-expanding prepared and fresh-cut range. Among the latest jewels to be mined are stir fry vegetables at Marks & Spencer, identified as “supercharged”.

For £2.79, there is certainly a wide selection of ingredients inside the 220g container, which comprises Pak choi, peppers, butternut squash, Tenderstem broccoli, red onion, spinach, ginger, garlic and toasted seeds.

Meanwhile in the same store there is evidence that the range of pears growing in the Netherlands keeps expanding. M&S’s Limited Edition range now includes the new bronzed arrival called Dazzling Gold at £2.49 for four.

This shade has always been a popular descriptive choice and consistently turns up on apples, stonefruit, grapes and much more. One of the latest examples is at Asda, where there is a new Spanish satsuma christened Gold Nugget at £1.25/500g. Customers are even welcomed to email in their opinions on the taste.

Moving along to the vegetable counters, even the humble Brussels sprout has had a makeover. Shrink-wrapped green varieties on the stalk have been joined by the red equivalent, and in this case labelled Red Brusselberries at £1.87 per stick.

There has been a similarly coloured addition to Tesco’s Just Discovered onion range, with 500g pre-packs of the Italian Borettana red variety now being grown in the UK for 89p.

Another example is when one totally unrelated product is used to boost interest in another. A classic case at Lidl is netted banana shallots - doubtless a reference to their elongated shape - grown in France at 49p for 250g. -

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