A newly published survey in Which?, the consumers' association publication, concludes that shoppers should question supermarket staff more about the fruit and vegetables they are purchasing.

Asking the question "Do we get a raw deal?", the report by researcher Julie Lennard suggests that the time has come to test the claims of the retail giants that they listen to their customers by making more searching enquiries about selection, production and storage of products on the shelf.

The report attempts to reflect the impact that the policies of the UK multiple sector have on growers and packers, as well as the preferred methods of selection of varieties, post-harvest handling and storage.

Ultimately it claims that it is these factors that most affect how much the public pays for its fresh produce. The survey is critical of confused pricing strategies that make it difficult to judge best value. Examples are given of cherry tomatoes, which were priced in the same store at £3.99/kg loose and £2.72/kg pre-packed.

Tesco, for example was singled out for providing imperial measures alongside metric because it believes its customers want this. Which? claims it also enforces an illusion of making products appear cheaper than they actually are.

The report claims that while fresh produce is covered by EU-grading regulations, most UK supermarkets admit to operating their own standards based on size and appearance. Researchers also revealed that they found a number of instances of packs that were priced, but gave no indication of weight at all. While legal, the magazine felt that this all adds to the consumer’s hazy perception of value.

With multiples accounting for 84 per cent of sales, Which? highlights the wide-ranging impact this has had, even extending to tighter inspection disciplines for organic fruit and vegetables.

Rob Haward, horticultural manager at the Soil Association, said that 50 per cent of the UK organic apple crop could be rejected and finish up on the wholesale market, where it is sold for less or even worse becomes cattle feed, while multiples import organic counterparts.

The report further suggests retailers often place more emphasis on the cosmetics of produce than on organoleptic or nutritional qualitites, as physical characteristics are easier to measure.

Mike Day, a technical specialist at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, which carries out trials on new vegetable varieties, is quoted as saying "most supermarkets have taste panels, but there is definitely scope for improvement". When taste is emphasised it is used to create added value.

Even with fewer, larger suppliers the report adds that there is anecdotal evidence that the Code of Conduct established in 2000 through the Office of Fair Trading is not working and predicts that trading agreements will again be the source of investigation.

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