There are more tomato types and varieties on the shelf than I care to count, which must confuse customers. Many of the categories and names also vary, but at least at Waitrose the definition is clear with its aromatic and colourful Red Choice offer grown in Holland. The £2.59 for 300g offer is exclusive.

Sainsbury’s has also come up with new descriptions in its organic range with a family pack of four fruit at £1.70 for 400g. The crop is grown in Israel with varieties called Noa and Rony packed as Class II.

Another eye-catcher was an organic butterhead type of lettuce from France at £1.50. It is also possible to enter a draw for tickets for the Paralympic Games via its Nectar card, based on a purchase from a selected range.

It is not just in the salad section where products look slightly different, and while Tenderstem broccoli has taken the industry by storm, there are other contenders. Sainsbury’s has a similar-looking Bellaverde, grown in Spain at £2 for 200g.

Staying with vegetables, Thailand has been a major source for many types of stir fry, which has led to crops like Pak choi and others now being grown in the UK. However, it seems there is much more to come if Morrisons is a guide.

One of the latest from the Far East is Kow choi, whose long thin green strands are unlike anything else of this type.

Sometimes other ways to tempt increased purchases is through mix and match, and Tesco has come up with a diced butternut and sweet potato prepared range at £1.50 for 415g.

Maltese oranges from Tunisia first arrived on the wholesale market in the seventies, but were notoriously soft and tender. But Waitrose now has the fruit as part of its specialist range. -

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